Wednesday, December 6, 2023
As winter blankets Europe in a picturesque layer of snow, the travel industry finds itself grappling with unprecedented challenges, with snowfall intensifying across the continent.
The scenic landscapes have transformed into scenes of travel chaos, impacting flights, road transportation, and rail services. Flights were cancelled until Sunday morning, with other airports, such as in Zurich, London and Vienna, reporting delays of an hour or more, according to tracking service Flightaware. The tourism in Europe can be deeply affected with the low rate of visitors everywhere.
Flight Grounded
The flights were grounded across Europe this weekend as heavy winter storms affected travel. Glasgow airport in Scotland cancelled all flights on Saturday morning as it experienced heavy snow and temperatures plunged as low as minus 12.5ºC, the lowest recorded since March.
Airports across Europe are experiencing a surge in cancellations and delays as snow and icy conditions compromise safe takeoffs and landings. The ripple effect is evident in major travel hubs, leaving travelers stranded and disrupting carefully planned itineraries. Passengers are facing extended waiting times, flight cancellations, and uncertainty as airlines struggle to navigate through the adverse weather conditions. Several flights were also cancelled or delayed to and from Dublin airport in the Republic of Ireland, according to news media.
Blurry UK weather
The operations have since resumed, with Britain’s Met Office issuing a yellow warning for ice across northern England, the Midlands and northern Wales. The warning is in place until midday on Monday. The United Kingdom is on high alert as a massive rainstorm, originating from the Atlantic Ocean, sets its sights on the region, promising to bring heavy downpours and challenging weather conditions. The latest weather maps indicate a substantial low-pressure system making its way toward the UK, with landfall expected by Thursday morning.
Road Condition
Elsewhere, in the north of England, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service and some parts of Europe are in deep blanket of snow. The traffic has been under huge pressure due to snowfall. It is a similar story across other parts of Europe, including Munich, in Germany, where more than 700 flights were grounded at the airport on Saturday after a snow storm hit the south, along with parts of Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic.
Natural Calamity
Officials warned of potential avalanches in parts of Austria and Switzerland, particularly in the provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg as the region received up to 50 centimetres of snow on Saturday. In a significant disruption to transportation in southwest England, a major landslip above the Crewkerne Tunnel in Somerset has resulted in extensive delays for both trains and motorists. The severe rainfall in the region has triggered safety concerns, compelling Network Rail engineers to embark on a week-long repair mission.
Rail travel has also been affected, as trains in and out of Munich’s central station were halted and Germany’s national railway operator advised travellers to delay or reroute journeys.
Deutsche Bahn said rail traffic would be “impacted severely” until Monday. Some passengers in the city even spent Friday night on trains due to the disruption, reported news agency DPA. Austrian railway company OBB also closed various train lines across the country on Saturday. Several regional trains were halted in the southern part of the Czech Republic as cross-border routes between Austria and Germany did not operate.
On Friday, some news media reported deaths across Eastern Europe due to heavy snowfall. Over the past week, thousands of towns and villages in Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria were affected by blizzards and left without electricity. In Moldova, four people were reported dead, with 10 people announced dead across Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kyiv regions in Ukraine.
The tourism industry in Europe faces profound challenges as visitor numbers remain low across the continent, because of the continuous shift of weather. The ongoing impact will surely significant lead a decline in tourist arrivals. But we wish this will not happen. This downturn will not only affects the revenue of businesses in the tourism sector and its allied industry but also hampers the cultural and economic vibrancy that tourism contributes to European destinations.
Revitalizing the tourism industry requires careful strategies and a collaborative effort to restore traveller confidence and stimulate tourism. Also, it is the time to check the weather and ongoing climate change.
Tags: Europe, Europe Tourism, Snowstorm
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
