High mountains and Instagram-friendly fjords. For Norwegians, this has become an everyday occurrence. But for foreign tourists, this means that they pack their Norwegian suitcases year after year. And this year more than ever. – The 2023 season is going to be a good season, says an optimistic Jarle Buseth in NHO Reiseliv. Photo: Karen Gjetrang / news Jarle Buseth, branch manager for camping at NHO Reiseliv, notes that tourists from all over the world are back in full force after the pandemic years. – Their desire to travel to Norway is just as great as Norwegians’ desire to travel to warmer regions, explains Buseth. Believe in record NHO Reiseliv’s member survey shows that 27 per cent of tourism companies in Norway are expecting more foreign guests this summer than last year. Vestland stands out, where half of the companies expect an increase in foreign guests. NHO Reiseliv’s members have orders from the following foreign markets: The Nordics: 45 per cent Northern Europe (Germany, Great Britain and Benelux): 57 per cent Rest of Europe: 32 per cent USA: 20 per cent Asia: 7 per cent Other: 3 per cent Source: NHO Reiseliv Buseth among other things, Lunde Camping in Aurland municipality, which has received orders from guests from 46 different nations this summer. Another camping company that has noticed this is Bratland Camping outside Bergen. – June this year was a record. We thought the biggest record was last year, but it was broken, says daily manager Stian Bratland. – What is it like for you working here? – Even more to do and longer working days. Bratland Camping has had a busy start to the summer: – There are many more caravans this year than last year, yes, says daily manager Stian Bratland. Photo: Therese G. Pisani / news 78 percent of camping businesses report to NHO Reiseliv about as many or more bookings than in 2022. Buseth hopes the camping industry will beat last year’s record 8.6 million guest days: – With such a good June, and we know that many foreigners want to come here in August and September, then we might manage to cross 9 million. More expensive hotel rooms Hotels are also noticing the increase. In Bergen, we have seen an increase of over 30 per cent in the number of guests, which has led to the average price per hotel room being NOK 1,000 higher than at the same time last year. The Strawberry chain (formerly Nordic Choice) told NTB about a 40 percent increase in the number of hotel bookings. Thon Hotels reports 20-25 per cent more bookings than last year. – Although we do not have any conclusions yet, we both in Oslo and around the country see that there are more international guests traveling to Norway in the summer season this year than we have seen in recent years, says director André Schreiner at Clarion Hotel The Hub in Oslo. In his hotel, American Rick and Robin Swenson have just moved in: – This is my first, long journey since the shutdown. It feels so good, says Robin Swenson. The first stop for married couple Robin and Rick Swenson is Oslo. From there, they will take the train on to Bergen. Photo: Karoline Johannessen Litland / news Social media good drivers A weak Norwegian krone can be a reason why we see an increase in foreign tourism. It makes it more expensive for Norwegians to holiday abroad. For foreign tourists, it seems the opposite. Norwegian tourism companies can cheer about this. Buseth in NHO Reiseliv also points out that several foreigners had plans to holiday in Norway in the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, but that this had to be put on hold. According to Buseth, another explanation is related to publicity and publicity: – Instagram and other social media have been very good drivers in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Great pictures from great places in Norway help to trigger the desire to travel. Are there places that Jølster tourists come to see? Photo: Cosmin Cosma / news Great places were the reason why Pawel Jaworski and his wife packed up their campervan and traveled from Poland to Bergen: – Nature, nature, nature. An amazing place. I love the way they respect nature. The Jaworski couple have taken their dog on holiday. They think camping is the best way to travel if you want to see as much of the country as possible. Photo: Therese G. Pisani / news Last year Gunnar and Silke Brûhl were in Northern Norway. This year they have made the trip further south. – It is impossible to experience the whole of Norway in four weeks, explains Silke. Photo: Therese G. Pisani / news German Birgith Betz does not know where the trip will go next, but she hopes for a glacier safari. Photo: Therese G. Pisani / news Cruise tourism: – It’s nice to be Danish in Norway An industry that thrives on enticing with great natural experiences is cruise ship tourism. Here, too, the industry goes one way. – Norway is a very popular destination for cruise tourists as well, says Inge Tangerås in Cruise Norway. At the start of the year, Cruise Norway made a forecast of 14 percent growth in 2023 compared to 2022. This calculation seems to hit the mark, and rightly so. Color Line reports this summer, among other things, an increase of 25 per cent more Dutch guests and 20 per cent more from Denmark. – Now the Danes think it’s nice to be Danish in Norway, says marketing manager at Color Line, Line Moland Andersen Daily manager of Ålesund Cruise Network, Monica Berstad Mæland, explains that their 47 member companies report a turnover growth of between 20 and 70 percent from last year. – What is it to blame? – More people use the museums and cafes. They shop in the shops at the museums, and when they come back to the city from excursions, they shop in different shops, explains Mæland. – This is the best season ever in Ålesund. We have never had so many cruise tourists, and it looks like it will be a record year, says Monica Berstad Mæland. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news
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Foreign tourists are back in full force – news Vestland
