Heatwaves impact mental health and restaurant booking trends

Extreme heat significantly impacts both psychological well-being and consumer behavior in the hospitality sector. High temperatures place a heavy burden on the autonomic nervous system as the body focuses on thermoregulation, which can lead to decreased frustration tolerance and increased irritability.

In the gastronomy industry, data from TheFork indicates that restaurant bookings are most stable when average daily temperatures remain between 16 and 22 degrees Celsius. Demand begins to decline once temperatures exceed 22 to 24 degrees. During heatwaves where temperatures rise above 25 degrees, daily restaurant bookings drop by an average of 5.9 percent. This effect is even more pronounced on weekends, where heatwaves exceeding 25 degrees result in an average of 18 percent fewer bookings compared to weekends with moderate temperatures.