Does the south of Europe no longer have a future as a holiday destination? At least that’s what Health Minister Lauterbach thinks with regard to the consequences of climate change there. Italy’s Minister of Tourism counters.
Italy’s Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, reacted with irritation to a tweet by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach. The SPD politician is currently on vacation in Italy and when he arrived in Bologna he questioned Italy’s future as a vacation destination because of the current heat wave.
A reaction from Italy was not long in coming. Santanchè said that Italy is still looking forward to welcoming Lauterbach back as a holidaymaker, as reported by the dpa and “FAZ” news agencies.
Lauterbach: Climate change is destroying southern Europe
In view of a heat wave that brought extremely high temperatures to southern Europe, Lauterbach had already written on Twitter on July 13:
In his tweet, he referred to a map from the Helmholtz Climate Initiative and information from the European Space Agency. It shows that countries like Italy are in a major heat wave. Temperatures of up to 48 degrees are expected on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – “possibly the hottest temperatures ever measured in Europe.”
Santanchè: Italy remains the preferred holiday destination
“I would like to thank the German Minister of Health for choosing Italy as a travel destination, which has always been the preferred holiday destination of his compatriots,” said Santanchè. “Of course we look forward to welcoming him back in the future.” In Italy, people are aware of climate change, which affects not only southern Europe but the entire planet. “We are sure that Germans will continue to appreciate vacations in Italy,” said Santanchè.
Tourism in Italy is booming this year – like before the pandemic and even more. There are hardly any vacant accommodations left at particularly popular travel destinations in the country. The industry is expecting a record summer. In 2022, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office, Italy was the most popular holiday destination for Germans alongside Austria.