Written by Anrieth Symon, Head of travel

2023 was a record year. Unfortunately, records that were all set by climate change. First, the Northern Hemisphere experienced its hottest summer in recorded history this year. According to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), June to August marked the world’s hottest three-month period in history. On average, the temperature in July was 1.1°C more than a 100 years ago. For some areas of the hemisphere, it averaged at more than 4°C.

Although this increase in average temperature may seem insignificant, the potential impact is more than significant. Projections by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) state that a 1.5°C global warming will lead to 14% of Earth’s population exposed to severe heatwaves every five years. 

Secondly, $57.6 billion dollars of damage was caused by weather-related disasters in 2023 across the United States, surpassing the 2020 record (Source: NOAA). These distressing economic losses are reflected in other parts of the world, with China reporting a $42 billion dollar impact due to typhoons, hailstorms, torrential rains.

Climate change and our continent
Moving closer to home, the picture remains as bleak. Between February and March, another record was set when the deadliest storms in 20 years hit Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Despite being responsible for less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, severe climate-change events are taking its toll on our continent.

The State of the Climate in Africa report shows an acceleration in temperature increases. This, in turn, has led to climate-related hazards becoming more intense and severe. From Libya’s flash floods, Morocco’s earthquake, Algeria’s wildfires to Mozambique’s cyclone, the consequences of global climate-change have been devastating for Africa.

Apart from the damage these events cause, the long-term effects on livelihoods are crippling. Supporting over half of the continent’s labour force, agriculture productivity has declined by 34% due to climate change since 1961. This is the highest figure globally.

And this is not the only industry that climate-change has left a deep footprint on.

Holidays are ending at the hospital
The tourism industry contributes 25% of Greece’s annual GDP and employs one in five people. When wildfires broke out in Rhodes, the biggest ever evacuation had to be orchestrated. Consisting of mostly tourists staying in hotels and resorts, almost 20 000 people were moved to safety as the fire raged on across the Aegean Island. Even more concerning is that the United Nations World Meteorological Organisation classified this event as part of the ‘new normal’.

European records were broken in both Sicily and Sardinia when the temperature gauge stood at a blazing 46°C. Tourists visiting Rome cut their trips short due to the heatwave and for many of those who didn’t, their holiday ended at the hospital. One Italian hospital reported their highest admissions since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Apart from climate-change events affecting tourists on their holidays, the airline industry has also felt the pressure. Many travellers aren’t aware that due the less-dense air, aircrafts find it more challenging to lift off the ground in hotter conditions. This was one of the contributing reasons 2023 saw a 23% increase in delayed international flights.

Global tourism is increasing
Despite this, rising travelling costs due to global inflation, and burdensome exchange rates due to a weakened rand, recent statistics show that more South Africans are travelling abroad. At its peak in December 2022, over 557 000 citizens departed the country for overseas destinations during the holiday season. Since the start of 2023, the monthly average remains around 350 000.

And it’s not just South African travellers that want to explore the world. According to the World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 700 million tourists travelled internationally between January and July 2023. These numbers have contributed to international tourism recovering to 84% of pre-pandemic levels.

If travellers continue to book international holidays at this rate, expert predictions that the tourism industry will recover to pre-COVID-19 income levels by 2024 seems to be realistic. With that said, it is the travel industry’s responsibility to provide the public with more risk-related information to ensure travellers can put preventative measures in place before embarking on holidays.

Be prepared with Bryte
Understanding this, South Africa’s leading travel insurance provider, Bryte Insurance, has launched its annual South African Travel Index for 2023. Based on data-led sector insights across the globe, this travel index shares insightful statistics, developing trends, and learnings to guide South Africans towards better travel preparation, risk mitigation, and a more realistic outlook about international travel.

Data from the Travel Index shows that 73% of the value paid for all Bryte insurance claims were attributed to medical expenses. Ranging from hundreds of thousands of rands to several million, the Bryte Travel Index shares real-life case studies of policyholders who met with misfortune during their travels. These personal injury stories showcase the catastrophic financial consequences travellers could face without proper risk mitigation planning.

In conjunction with the consumer-facing Travel Index, Bryte Insurance also published a version for brokers. By providing insights on the potential hazards of specific countries and regions, South African travellers can receive the best travel insurance solution in the face of severely unpredictable weather patterns and climate catastrophes.

With reports such as these, South Africans can look forward to safer, more informed travel experiences, whichever destination they choose in the world to vacation.