EF World Journeys, which provides guided, experiential travel for North American adults, says it is responding to demand for more international tour options that avoid the increasingly oppressive heat of summer travel.
EF World Journeys operates three adult leisure tour operator brands: EF Go Ahead Tours (adults 35+) – more than 200 guided tours for adults, groups and families; EF Ultimate Break (adults 18-35) – over 140 guided tours to destinations across Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region; and EF Adventures (all ages, 14+ with adult supervision) – culturally immersive, guided adventure tour operator with more than 31 tours in 20 countries across the world.
“Across all three of EF World Journey’s tour operator brands, an increasing group of American and Canadian travellers of all ages have inquired about summer tours that lessen the chance of high temperatures or heat exhaustion, especially as the impact of climate change increases temperatures across many traditionally popular destinations from June-August in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Lael Kassis, vice president, market development, EF Go Ahead Tours.
“To answer this demand, we’ve curated tours in cooler destinations from Iceland to Ireland, from Scotland to Norway, and a plethora of tour experiences that promise great summer adventures with historically cooler temperatures.”
New research from EF Ultimate Break and EF Go Ahead Tours, conducted by Qualtrics Research in May 2025, recently found that extreme summer heat is changing the international travel behaviours of more than half of North American travellers 18 years and older.
It showed 57% of Gen Z and millennial North American travellers said extreme summer heat was influencing their international travel plans, with 74% saying they would be interested in a destination with cooler temperatures from June to August. The top cooler destinations include the Alps, Australia or New Zealand, and Ireland.
For travellers 35 years and older, 53% said extreme summer heat was influencing their international travel plans, with 69% saying they would be interested in destinations with cooler temperatures from June to August. The top cooler destinations favoured were The Rocky Mountains, the Nordics, and Australia or New Zealand.
The top turn off for all North American travellers is extreme heat, which limits the outdoor levels of activity, produces a strong personal dislike for sweating, and creates worries about heat exhaustion.
EF World Journeys has a coolcation collection of trips, which includes EF Ultimate Break trips. These include the Iceland Summer Escape (from $2,479, six days, one city), Denmark, Sweden & Norway (from $3,039, 11 days, three cities), and Grand Tour of Ireland (from $1,859, nine days, four cities). Prices do not include flights.
EF Adventures trips include Norway Multi-Adventure: Bergen & the Sognefjord Region (from $5,699, nine days), Scotland Hiking: The West Highland Way & Inner Hebrides Islands (from $5,099, nine days), Alps Hiking: Switzerland, Italy & France (from $5,999, 12 days), and Iceland Multi-Adventure: Golden Circle & South Coast (from $5,399, eight days). Prices do not include flights.
EF Go Ahead Tours include Landscapes of Scotland: Oban, the Highlands & Edinburgh (from $4,799, 15 days, six cities), A Week in Ireland: Dublin to Belfast (from $3,199, nine days, four cities), and Scandinavia: The Capitals & the Fjords (from $5,119, 14 days, five cities). Prices do not include flights.
