Forget Mallorca, the Canary Islands and Greece. Sweden has emerged as the place where Norwegians spend most leisure time outside their own country, also this summer.
“We’ve traveled on holiday to Sweden for 15 years,” Britt-Elin Meland Richmond of Kristiansund told newspaper Aftenposten over the weekend. She and her husband Bjørn are far from alone. According to a new survey from the tourism organization VisitSweden, it’s more common to find Norwegians gathered around a barbecue grill at a campground in Sweden than on a beach in Southern Europe.
The survey shows that 90 percent of Norwegians find it easy to travel to Sweden. Most view Sweden as a safe and secure travel destination. Fully 75 percent of those questioned think Sweden is a good place for camping or renting a cottage and 70 percent find the Swedes hospitable. Another 72 percent think Sweden also offers good urban experiences and good opportunities for shopping.
Even though Mallorca topped a recent Norwegian survey of airline destinations, it’s possible those who simply drive over the border were overlooked. With 3.4 million registered commercial overnight stays a year, Norway is the Swedish travel industry’s most important market.
newsinenglish.no staff
