The matter summed up: More Norwegians are booking trips to warmer regions during the winter holidays, with up to 30 per cent more bookings compared to last year. The weather has a direct impact on the number of bookings, with particularly great interest in departures to the Canary Islands during the winter holiday weeks, according to Ving. In the winter holiday weeks, 97 percent of all Ving’s charter trips are sold out, and Apollo and Tui have also almost sold out their package trips. The travel survey for Virke shows that Norwegians prioritize holidays, even though everything in society has become more expensive. Norwegians plan to spend NOK 45,900 on holiday this year, an increase of almost NOK 10,000 compared to last year. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I’m looking forward to going out and being able to go for a walk with Ingrid without having to wrap her in a lot of woolen clothes and me in a bubble jacket. Kamilla Rafaelsen says so. In December, she and her partner booked a trip to Alicante in Spain. It was then dark and cold in Kabelvåg in Lofoten, and the family of three needed sun and warmth. It also tastes extra good after the three storms in Nordland last week. – We are very much looking forward to higher temperatures and less clothing. This will be seven-month-old Ingrid’s first trip abroad, says mum Kamilla Rafaelsen. Photo: Privat They are not alone in booking trips to warmer regions in winter. According to several travel companies, there are now many Norwegians who want to travel to warmer regions. Up to 30 per cent more people have booked a southern holiday this winter, compared with figures from last year. – Now we can’t stand the cold anymore, and then we like to take the shortest route to the sun, which in winter is Gran Canaria, says Tui’s communications manager, Anne-Mørk Løwengreen. – The weather has a direct impact. The weather also affects the order numbers for Ving and Apollo. – It is clear that the weather has a direct impact on the number of orders, says Ving’s country manager, Marie-Anne Zachrisson in a press release. According to her, there has been an increase in the number of Norwegians who have booked a trip during the winter holidays in recent weeks. Up to 30 per cent more people have booked a trip during the winter holidays, compared with figures from last year. Photo: Petter Strøm / news In the penultimate week of January, Ving experienced an increase of 33 percent in winter orders, compared to the same week last year. – In total, the sale of winter trips is generally now 30 per cent higher than last year, says communications manager at Apollo, Beatriz Rivera. Finn reise also has an increase in package tours during the winter holidays. According to commercial director Terje Berge, they have an increase of 24.2 per cent from last year. At the airline Norwegian there is also a lot going on, says Eline Hyggen Skari who is a senior communications advisor. – We find that there is a surprisingly high desire to travel, to countries around the Mediterranean in particular. Norwegian does not release specific figures for the sale due to competitive reasons, says Skari. Eline Hyggen Skari in Norwegian. Photo: Thomas Brun NTB / Communication Sold out charter trips In the winter holiday weeks, 97 percent of all charter trips to Ving are sold out, they write in the press release. According to Apollo and Tui, they have also almost sold out their holiday packages. The company experiences particularly great interest in the departures to the Canary Islands during the winter holiday weeks. – There is no doubt that the desire to travel is at its peak among Norwegians who escape the country to experience the sun and warmth of the Canary Islands during the winter holidays, says Løwengreen in Tui. She says that the winter has been above average cold for many, which has a direct effect on the desire to travel. – It is quite clear that sun and swimming are the biggest draw during the winter holidays. The travel company’s most popular destinations: Ving’s most popular winter destinations for sun and warmth: Gran Canaria Tenerife Thailand Cape Verde Tui’s most popular charter trips this winter: Gran Canaria Tenerife Lanzarote Cape Verde Apollo’s popular winter holiday destinations: Gran Canaria Fuerteventura Tenerife Emirates Sharm el Sheikh Madeira Easter excels At travel company Apollo, it is Easter that excels. – For the Easter holidays, the sale is now 40 per cent compared to the same time last year. In other words, there is no doubt that the cold start to the year has really sparked Norwegians’ desire to travel, says the communications manager. According to her, the reason is a mixture of the red days that come in the middle of the week, but also the weather and the fact that the trips during the winter holidays were sold out so quickly. – But I also think one reason could be that many people chose to holiday in Norway last year, says Rivera. Apollo, Tui and Ving have next sold out all their package holidays during the winter holidays. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Virke: People should spend more money The industry association Virke has conducted a nationwide survey that looks at Norwegians’ holiday plans this year. The figures, which were made available in January, show that Norwegians prioritize holidays, even though everything in society has become more expensive. – Norwegians plan to spend NOK 45,900 on holiday this year. There is an increase of almost NOK 10,000 compared to last year, which had a record low planned consumption of NOK 36,250, says industry director tourism in Virke, Audun Pettersen. In the survey, it appears that almost four out of ten Norwegians say that their plans can be affected by the price level and the currency situation. Industry director of tourism in Virke, Audun Pettersen, says Norwegians prioritize holidays even though everything in society has become more expensive. Photo: Virke – Despite this, almost half of us believe that it is important to prioritize holidays, even if it is more expensive than before. Holidays are important to us and it is perhaps one of the last things you cut when disposable income in the household decreases, says Pettersen.
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Norwegians flee to the South during the winter holidays – news Nordland
