The Mediterranean is already seeing a decrease in the amount of visitors this summer compared to last year, according to the ETC.
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00:00 Spain is once again sweltering.
00:05 Despite the scorching temperatures, people are daring to walk the streets of Madrid.
00:10 This is the reality for thousands of tourists visiting Spain and its capital these days.
00:15 "I live on the beach in California, so it is hot there, but it's much hotter here, yes."
00:20 The National Weather Service said that thermometers could potentially hit 45 degrees Celsius in
00:25 southeastern parts of the country.
00:27 For tourists, any respite from the heat is appreciated.
00:30 "If you get into something that has a little air, at least for 10 minutes, it's great."
00:36 With increasingly frequent, intense and prolonged episodes of extreme heat, climate change threatens
00:41 one of Spain's main resources, tourism.
00:44 "Tourists traditionally choose Mediterranean destinations because of the sun and good temperatures,
00:50 but according to the latest climate perception index, visitors from France, Spain and Greece
00:56 have shown their dissatisfaction with a heat that exceeds all expectations."
01:00 According to data from the European Travel Commission, the number of people expecting
01:04 to visit the Mediterranean region from June to November has already decreased by 10 percent
01:09 compared to last year.
01:10 "People are waiting to know, not where it's going to rain, but where those extreme temperatures
01:17 are going to be so they can adapt."
01:20 New and unexpected summer destinations are on the rise too, such as the United Kingdom,
01:25 Denmark and the Czech Republic.
01:27 "We are seeing how people arrive and in many cases, in addition to enjoying the destination,
01:36 they arrive to sleep because they want to find a place with that cool of the northern nights."
01:43 Spain knows it has to adapt its tourism experience.
01:46 "This is a change in the alternatives that the establishment offers in terms of the organization
01:55 of activities and schedules in which customers are not subjected to extreme temperatures."
02:05 The Spanish tourism sector is counting on the quality and sustainability of its destinations
02:10 to keep visitors coming back, even as summer temperatures keep rising.
02:20 (dramatic music)