Our world is experiencing climate change, and for many places on earth, this not only impacts weather, but also wreaks havoc on some very popular tourist destinations. So, if you are a traveler, or an aspirational traveler, I'd like to suggest you make a plan to visit the places on your list which are most likely to be impacted by climate change, as they may not be available for visiting in the foreseeable future. Not sure what these last chance destinations are? Many of them fall into 3 categories: the polar regions which are experiencing ice melt; non-arctic glaciers which are receding at alarming rates, and coastal destinations/ coral reefs which are flooding and shrinking, and may disappear in our lifetimes. Further, given the disappearing opportunity of being able to see these places as they are now, I'd suggest that, if possible, you bring your younger loved ones along since they may not have the opportunity to go in their adult (or later-adult) lives.
Polar/ Sub-Arctic Destinations
The Arctic and Antarctic regions are remote, filled with glaciers, ice caps, and wildlife which inhabit these cold latitudes. As the earth warms, the ice melts, the glaciers recede, and the endemic wildlife becomes more endangered. According to the World Wildlife Fund, "The Arctic’s average temperature has already risen at a rate of almost four times the global average, warming faster than any other region on Earth."
Here are some destinations I'd put on your sooner-rather-than-later travel list if you are interested in exploring icebergs, native polar cultures and polar wildlife (think: polar bears & penguins).
Antarctica: Antarctic ice is melting 6 times faster than it did in the 1980s, which is leading to glaciers receding and ice shelves breaking apart. "Warmer, more acidic oceans are already impacting Antarctic ecosystems, with many penguin colonies shrinking, and in some cases disappearing altogether."(source)
Greenland/ Svalbard: If you're hoping to visit icebergs and arctic wildlife (especially polar bears) & their communities without venturing to Antarctica, a trip (typically by expedition cruise) here should be on your travel bucket list, and pretty soon, too, because of the large volume of melting ice (and its sad impact on polar bear and other wildlife habitats there).
Northern areas of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Iceland: With glaciers receding at alarming rates, you won't want to wait too long to experience life in the Arctic biome, where climate change is causing significant impacts on permafrost (a "permanently" frozen layer of soil). This thawing changes the Arctic landscape and ecosystems by destabilizing the ground and impacting plant and animal life. Popular destinations here include Alaska north of Nome, Hudson Bay (in Canada, to see polar bears), Lapland (northern lights & reindeer), and Norway's North Cape (northern lights, reindeer, and fjords).
Non-Arctic Glacial Areas
If you are an outdoorsy type who likes to hike and/or be in snow-capped mountains, here are some popular destinations you should make a priority to visit, as these glaciers may not exist too much longer.
Keep in mind that if you want to see these glaciers, start planning now; many of these places are extremely popular and lodging can book up more than a year in advance. Some examples include:
Patagonia: In the southern Andes, Patagonia is full of glaciers, icefields, and fjords. In 2021, "NASA glaciologist Eric Rignot said the icefields—which comprise the largest body of ice outside Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere—are experiencing some of the highest melting rates on the planet." (source) Go before its too late.
Glacier National Park: This park in Montana has seen its number of glaciers decrease from 150 to 25 in the past 80 years, and could be without glaciers entirely in 15 years, so if you want to see any of its remarkable beauty, don't wait too long.
Glaciers and ice fields in the European Alps (the Jungfrau region in Switzerland and the Grossglockner in Austria are just two examples). The European Alps sit at a lower altitude than the Rocky Mountains, and their glaciers and ski resorts are more susceptible to the effects of global warming. In fact, "Alpine glaciers saw a new record mass loss for a single year in 2022, and experts have warned that Austrian glaciers could disappear by 2075." (source) Plus, the snow-capped peaks of the Alps are being replaced by vegetation covers, a process known as the greening. (source)
Alaska: Alaska is an extremely popular tourist destination with millions of tourists visiting every year (by cruise and land). It is also among the most vulnerable destinations, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The report states that “Alaska is on the front lines of climate change and is among the fastest-warming regions on Earth. ... It is warming faster than any other state, and it faces a myriad of issues associated with a changing climate” like deteriorating coastlines, melting ice caps, crumbling roads, and trees growing in areas that used to be tundra, as well as wildlife species now at risk of going extinct.
Coastal Destinations/ Coral Reefs
For those who aren't drawn to cold-weather/ glacially-focused destinations, there are plenty of beach, coastal, and cultural vacation areas which are being impacted by climate change, as well.
If any of these destinations are on your radar, you may want to think about prioritizing them.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia: This is the world’s largest coral reef, and its size has decreased by more than 50% already. Try to visit before those vibrant colors turn white (from bleaching due to rising temperatures), which could happen in the next 15 years.
Venice: The magical city of Venice is one of Italy's great tourist destinations -- and for good reason. The "streets" are waterways/ canals, and while the main piazza (piazza San Marco) has always flooded, it will get more frequent and worse with rising sea levels. Plus, the canals will flood more and the building walls will continue to dissolve. It has recently been estimated by Italian scientists that parts of Venice will be submerged by 2150.(source) So visit as soon as you can -- and be prepared for flooding already.
The Florida Keys: Key West is an island that sits off the tip of Florida's southern coast, and is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches, laid-back vibe, and vibrant nightlife. In a 2017 op ed for The Guardian, author Joanna Guthrie referred to it as "the canaries in the climate-change coal mine." With 90% of their land mass at five feet above sea level or less, the Florida Keys exhibit the impact of rising seas better than most places, and a Nature Conservancy study on sea-level rise showed that areas of Big Pine Key (the second-largest of the Florida Keys) will be under water in a matter of decades.
Maldives: This beautiful country in the Indian Ocean could be the first country to sink into the ocean due to global warming. Lying only about 5 feet above sea level, and consisting 1,192 coral islands and sandbanks grouped into 26 atolls, with rising sea levels, it might not exist 20 years from now.
The Amazon: Home to 10% of the world's known species, the Amazon's biodiversity is a big draw for tourists. Rising temperatures have threatened those very animals, and last year, the World Wildlife Fund warned that half of the wildlife in the Amazon could disappear in the next 50 years.
Stonehenge (and other ancient ruins): In 2016, UNESCO warned that this prehistoric monument in England is in danger due to rising sea levels, more intense storms, and a deteriorating coastline of which 17% is already eroding throughout the U.K. (source) The threat is that of erosion and while it is not as imminent a threat for ancient structures as many of the other destinations listed here, it's something to consider, for sure.
The Dead Sea: Located on the border between Israel and Jordan, this famous salt lake is known for its floating properties. Over the past 40 years, it has shrunk by a third and if reports are to be believed, there could be no more Dead Sea in 35 years due to the impact of rising temperatures and the resulting evaporation.
If you do not believe that climate change is real, I'm certainly not the one who will convince you that it is. But I absolutely can assure you that I am not being hyperbolic in my assessment that these (and many other!) destinations are shrinking and becoming more fragile. So should any of them be on your travel wish list, I'd try to make those trips happen sooner than "someday."
As I can personally attest that many of the above-mentioned destinations have experienced changes in my lifetime, I am planning to write more "Dispatch" pieces about several of them, in order to help inform and perhaps inspire you to visit while you still can. (I have already written about a recent trip to Iceland should you be interested).