Heat wave impacts tourist visits: "We thought it would be cooler."

Sweltering temperatures and sweltering heat are hitting Spain in the midst of a heat wave. This has taken the millions of tourists who visit our country by surprise, like every August. For all of them, a water bottle, cap, or hat has become essential allies so they can make the most of their vacation days in Spanish cities without the intense heat affecting their schedules and itineraries.

The recipe for all of them is clear: "Drink lots of water, walk in the shade, rest, and avoid too much sun exposure," Juan Camilo, a 29-year-old Colombian who is spending a few days in Madrid, tells 20minutos . "The first day I arrived, the heat was quite intense. Now you're getting used to it, but it's still very intense," he admits.

The stifling heat of these days surprises even those who come from parts of the world accustomed to extreme temperatures: "We come from Sonora, and there in the summer it's around 50 degrees, but we thought it would be cooler here ," explain Eduardo and Karina, Mexican tourists spending a few days in Spain.

"We didn't think the heat would be so intense. We have to drink water constantly," explains Eduardo, although he assures that, despite the heat, they want to "make the most of our time ." "Sit down somewhere, cool off, and keep walking . Now let's get a soda and continue," they say in the shade of a building in the heart of Madrid.

Sam, a Chinese tourist visiting Madrid, admits his surprise at the intense heat: "It's really hot, so I'm going to walk in the shade and drink cool drinks," he explains. Despite the heat, he's trying to make the most of his visit to the capital, where he'll only be spending a few hours: "I'll only be here today; I'm leaving tonight, and I have to see as much as I can, " he emphasizes before continuing his sightseeing route, bottle of water in hand.

"When it's cooler, at night, we'll go out to a terrace."

For others, the heat doesn't come as a surprise: "We looked at the weather forecast before coming. We're from Lisbon, and we're used to being quite hot," says Dina, a Portuguese woman visiting Madrid with her family. The group's plan is clear: "Walk in the shade or go to shops where there's air conditioning, drink lots of water, and rest on terraces every so often." It's their first day in Madrid, where they'll spend eight days, practically the entire expected duration of this heat wave. "When it's cooler, at night, we'll go out to a terrace for a drink," they conclude before resuming their walk through the center of the capital.

If the water bottle is a great ally for tourists these days, some are using their ingenuity to cope with the heat: "We use these tiny fans," Jamillah and Shimira, Americans visiting Spain from Las Vegas and Los Angeles respectively, tell 20minutos . "It has five speeds, and with this and plenty of water, we can keep going," they say.

The heat, they say, doesn't surprise them, since their respective states also experience intense summer heat: "Las Vegas is hotter than here, so it's no big deal." They conclude their trip to Spain in Madrid after stopping in Ibiza and Barcelona, although their time in the capital is marked by extreme heat: "It's the hottest city by far, but we're intrepid travelers," they proudly state.

Extreme heat, a potential enemy of mass tourism

Projections from the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through Turespaña, indicate that nearly 42 million tourists will visit Spain during the summer months—June, July, August, and September—a figure that would represent a 3.2% increase compared to last year. However, heat waves, as increasingly frequent and intense phenomena in Spanish summers, threaten a vital sector for the Spanish economy .

In 2024, the Ministry of Health warned that extreme events such as heat waves, exacerbated by climate change, pose a "real risk" to tourism. "There is a clear risk that areas with the highest tourist influx will become less habitable due to increased heat waves and much hotter nights ," explained Héctor Tejero, head of Health and Climate Change at the Ministry of Health.