WASHINGTON (August 14, 2025) – As wildfires rage across Spain, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, and Albania, forcing evacuations, threatening homes, and blanketing tourist hotspots in smoke, the damage extends beyond the immediate crisis. For countries where tourism is a critical economic driver, extreme weather events can disrupt travel demand, alter destination reputations, and have lasting economic and social consequences for communities.
Cevat Tosun, Eisenhower Chair and professor of Tourism Studies and Management at the George Washington University School of Business, has advised governments, the UN, and the European Union on tourism planning, climate change impacts, and sustainable development. Professor Tosun brings decades of consulting experience in helping destinations adapt and remain resilient in the face of natural disasters and can speak to how Europe’s worsening wildfire seasons could reshape tourism in the region.
If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-