Travel agencies are reporting a clear increase in sale of warm destination trips, especially last-minute deals, as people seek "guaranteed summer weather" elsewhere, said Kädi Pupart, marketing manager at Go Travel.

"This has unfortunately led to a situation where the availability of last-minute trips is pretty limited," she acknowledged, adding that 90 percent of trips to sunny destinations over the next week are already sold out.

Katrin Aaslaid, head of private client relations and marketing at Estravel, said that compared to last year, interest has risen markedly in last-minute trips specifically to warm destinations.

"Visits to Estravel's last-minute deals site are up 29 percent," she noted, adding that uncertainty over whether Estonia will even see any warm weather this summer is pushing people to make quicker travel decisions.

Charter flights are also more limited this summer, causing popular destinations like Turkey, Greece and Spain to sell out early — unlike in 2024, when there was more availability throughout the season.

Weather a 'make-or-break' factor for locals

Visit Saaremaa department director Anu Lomp emphasized that weather is a decisive factor when it comes to the success of a tourist season.

"Cool weather or a little rain won't have foreign visitors skip traveling to Estonia or Saaremaa, but for Estonians, weather is a make-or-break factor," she said.

Lomp acknowledged that recent weather has not favored the start of the summer high season this year, with visitor numbers down on year.

She also cautioned that if long-term forecasts of continued cool weather continue until August hold true, many businesses in the sector could face a difficult season — but remains hopeful that conditions will improve later this summer.

Karmen Eisenschmidt, sales and marketing director at Pärnu's Tervise Paradiis, noted that while hotels have guests, recent weather is hurting dining establishments with outdoor patios.

Even so, advance bookings are still looking good, she said, "as it seems like people sincerely hope that we will eventually see a warm summer."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook, Bluesky and X and never miss an update!