– Have you seen cultured milk anywhere? Robert Johansson from Sweden navigates his way around the breakfast buffet at Lysefjorden tourist cabin, in the heart of Lysefjorden in Rogaland. Johansson painstakingly spreads slices of bread, before he and his family pack their bags and step into their hiking boots. Kjerag, and not least the famous Kjerag bolt, is today’s destination. – We will get up on the rock, and get out of there alive, says Johansson, chuckling. DNT is unique in the world, with over 23,000 kilometers of marked trails. Photo: Eirik Gjesdal The Johansson family is part of a larger trend: They are foreign members of the Norwegian Tourist Association (DNT). Warning about the consequences In the office, cabin manager Hilde Trøen is looking through the guest list for the next few days. – Most of them are Danes. But also many from Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, the USA and Great Britain, says Trøen. The guest list of manager Hilde Trøen at Lysefjorden tourist cabin contains guests from a wide range of countries throughout the summer. Photo: Eirik Gjesdal There are a total of 14,000 foreign members of DNT. This is an increase of 10 per cent from last year. In total, there were over 320,000 members in the tourist association at the end of last year. They are happy about the new members, and say that the vast majority of cabins have good capacity. The foreign tourists learn the systems, pay for themselves and become part of the DNT culture. But the increase in foreign tourists can also have a downside, if the state does not plan for major inroads from other countries. That is the opinion of the tourist association’s general secretary Dag Terje Klarp Solvang. – It is always nice to have visitors. But if it goes beyond what you want to give, the local and the unique, beautiful nature, then it is a dark backdrop, says Solvang. Dag Terje Klarp Solvang is secretary general of the Norwegian Tourist Association. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news His biggest concern is that the association and the tourism industry are not prepared for a large increase in the number of visitors in the coming years. – If you don’t prepare, it’s like inviting 34 to dinner and having cutlery for four. It’s going to go wrong. We cannot allow that to happen in this country. Visitor management is incredibly important, says Solvang. Solid infrastructure is then needed, which in this context means good paths, parking facilities and more toilets. In the extreme, the Secretary-General fears that local communities will be depleted and overpopulated in a few hectic summer weeks. – You see that elsewhere in Europe, where travel has become more of a burden than a joy, says Solvang. Working on a new bill Business Minister Cecilie Myrseth writes in an e-mail to news that the government is working purposefully to ensure that Norway has a more holistic tourism policy than it has been in the past. – I have big ambitions for Norwegian tourism in the future. It does not necessarily mean a goal of getting more tourists to the country, but that we get more year-round jobs and that the tourists who come make use of more of the good activities the tourism industry offers, she says. One of the measures the government is working on is to put in place the tools that make it possible for the municipalities to introduce a visitor contribution. – It will make it possible for the municipalities to pay for more of the community goods, which will benefit both tourists and the local population. My aim is to present the bill in the autumn, says Myrseth. – The world’s most beautiful country Roberg and his family understand very well that more foreign tourists sign up for DNT. In addition, a break from occasional heat waves in southern Europe, many will experience Norwegian fjords and mountains among over 590 overnight cabins. – It is the world’s most beautiful country to walk in, says Johansson. Robert Johansson reached the goal he had set himself, and could proudly pose with his legs planted on Kjeragbolten Photo: Private Robert Johansson trousers by Kjeragbolten. Photo: Private Published 11.08.2024, at 08.00
ttn-69
More and more foreign tourists are getting their eyes on DNT – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
