Millions of Norwegians were heading off on the country’s five-day-long Easter holiday weekend on Wednesday. A new survey indicates 80 percent of them would be staying in the country this year, though, and half planned to stay home.
The survey, conducted by research firm Katar for the national travel industry organization NHO Reiseliv, noted that more than half are staying at home this year. International unrest and higher prices may be contributing to that, along with lots of flight cancellations tied to the US’ and Israel’s war on Iran. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced cancellation of as many as a thousand flights in recent weeks, mostly to cut higher costs for jet fuel.
“It’s tougher times for households and that affects how much they’ll spend on holidays,” said NHO Reiseliv leader Kristin Krohn Devold. “Many of our members report fewer bookings and guests who are spending less money.”
The majority of those staying in Norway make traditional trips to their family- or friends’ hytter (cabins), roughly 63 percent according to the new survey, or to mountain hotels but there isn’t as much snow for skiing as usual. Climate change, melting glaciers and an unusually early spring this year were keeping many home, along with uncertain weather forecasts through the long weekend.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
