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Friday, March 29, 2024

Oslo boosters get another chance

News that the travel gurus at Lonely Planet had placed Oslo on its list of top-10 destinations in 2018 could cheer civic- and tourism boosters disappointed by how a new film shot in Oslo, The Snowman, flopped at the box office. Another Norwegian TV series that’s being sold internationally may give them another chance for publicity as well.

Lonely Planet placed Oslo 10th on its list that was topped by Sevilla in Spain and includes Detroit in the US. It cited Oslo’s “charm” as a “compact capital” that also can offer kayaking on the Oslo Fjord, lots of parks and a “coffee culture” on par with Copenhagen and Stockholm. Oslo was the only city in the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland) to gain a spot on Lonely Planet’s list.

“This is just great,” Christian Lunde, chief executive of the tourism promotion organization Visit Oslo, told news bureau NTB. “Being chosen by Lonely Planet is a great honour for us.”

It can also help take the sting out of disappointing ticket sales for the new Snowman film that opened to disappointing reviews, first in Norway and then around the world. The Snowman’s international release was expected to be a big boost for tourism to Norway, since it was filmed on location in Oslo and scenic areas in Telemark and along the West Coast. After some initially strong sales in Norway, it flopped at the box office in the US over the weekend and was failing to attract big crowds in Europe. It’s already lost top billing at cinemas in Oslo.

International interest in another TV series created by Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), described as a mystery thriller called Monster, may give tourism promoters another chance. “Scandinavian TV drama has a very good reputation in the international TV market,” Sancha Markson of British TV distribution company DRG told newspaper Dagsavisen on Wednesday. DRG has sold Monster for showings in nearly 40 countries including France, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia and Australia. It’s shot mostly in Northern Norway, which offers some of the most scenic landscapes in the country.

newsinenglish.no staff

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