– The more you experience, the better, says Tore Rekstad with a smile. It is cloudy, so he and his family have taken a short break from cabin and boat life to visit a climbing park outside Halden. – Our family is going on a trip to Denmark this week to get something else as well. Not just the cabin, he says. The holiday is far more than doing nothing. In this sense, the family is typical of a new development in Norwegians’ holiday habits. Torbjørn Myrhaug and Tore Rekstad fill the holiday with a lot of activities. Among other things, they challenged themselves and their families in a climbing park. Photo: Frida Synnøve Høyås / news More of “everything” In recent years, there has been a growth in “everything” Norwegians spend their summer holidays on. Just listen to this from Statistics Norway and the Boating Survey: We live in hotels much more often than ten years ago. The increase for July has been almost 40 percent. We go abroad more often. The increase has been almost 40 percent for the months of July – September. There are 50,000 more cabins in Norway than ten years ago. In addition, several Norwegians own homes abroad. We spend more nights at campsites. The number of motorhomes has doubled in ten years. Several have boats. There are 250,000 more boats than ten years ago. Norwegians simply fill up the holidays. – It seems that we want to experience as much as possible. Especially so-called experience holidays are on the rise, says communications manager Ida Bakken Tønder in NHO Reiseliv. Ida Bakken Tønder, communications manager at NHO Reiseliv. Photo: news For several years, they have made their own surveys to map Norwegians’ holiday plans. They see clear changes. Ten years ago, the vast majority were “going to the cabin.” But despite the fact that 50,000 more cabins have been built since then, “cabin holidays” are far less dominant in the answers. – We have expanded our horizons and want to experience more. We spend money on food and wine experiences, cultural offerings, going to games and festivals. Combining work and holiday Tønder believes part of the explanation is that when Norwegians have better finances, it is natural to seek experiences. But also an awareness of sustainability has affected. What Norwegians possibly do less of when there is more of “everything”, is still not entirely obvious. – I think we can do more and travel more because you have the opportunity to combine work and travel. With a home office, you can take your job to the cabin or a long weekend somewhere. Combining work and travel has become more popular, she says. – Have we stopped lying in the grass and looking straight up into the air? – It is difficult to answer, but I do not think so. Maybe quite the opposite. When there is a lot of stress in everyday life, you have more need to relax, says Tønder. – Something different than usual Even though Torbjørn Myrhaug at the climbing park outside Halden has a busy schedule during the holidays, it will also be time to recharge his batteries. – Holidays are also about doing other things. Like sleeping in a hammock, paddling and taking life in stride and doing something other than what you do otherwise.
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Norwegians’ holiday habits are changing – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
