Heat, Health and Holidays: Reported Heat Related Adjustments to Australian Tourist Behaviour

ABSTRACT

Extreme heat is one of the fastest growing threats to human health, already causing tens of thousands of deaths annually and projected to affect hundreds of millions more people under continued warming. Australians are highly mobile and live in one of the most heat‐exposed countries, so rising temperatures create risks both at home and while travelling. Yet the implications of extreme heat for tourist health, behaviour and destination choice remain poorly understood. Using Protection Motivation Theory, we examined how heat risk perception and coping appraisal relate to reported travel adjustments due to weather, with implications for public health agencies, destination managers and policymakers responding to the growing burden of heat. We aimed to examine (1) how extreme heat, compared to other weather events, affects reported holiday behaviour, (2) whether tourists have decided against destinations perceived as too hot and (3) which individuals are most likely to make heat‐related adjustments to their travel. Data were collected through a national online survey ( n  = 2292) and analysed using descriptive statistics (Chi‐square tests, ANOVA) and model estimation (multinomial logit and binary logit models). We found that 20% of respondents reported making changes to their most recent holiday because of the weather: 6% in response to heat, 6% to heavy rain and 8% to severe natural hazards. Most reported heat‐related changes involved timing (35%), activities (34%) or destinations (23%), reflecting substitution in time and place rather than cancellation. Age (−), education (+), income (−), perception of personal risk (+) and participation in nature‐based activities (+) were significantly associated with reported heat‐related adjustments. Awareness of weather forecasts and use of warning apps were strong predictors of reported behavioural change. One third of respondents reported they had previously decided against a destination because it was perceived as too hot, mostly for domestic trips.