Tourism-related businesses demonstrated in downtown Stavanger this week against the city’s decision to limit the number of cruiseships to 200 a year. They fear large revenue losses, while many local residents won’t miss the huge vessels at all. “Residents have for a long time been very dissatisfied that huge floating residential buildings come sailing in […]
Exploring the new and old Drammen
October 16, 2020
Tell your Norwegian friends you’re going on a mini-holiday in Drammen during these Corona times of restricted travel, and they’ll most likely roll their eyes. Also likely: They don’t know what they’re missing, because Drammen is a place off Norway’s tourism radar and where out-of towners seldom think to stop and stay. Drammen used to […]
Northerners defend Nordland gateway
October 13, 2020
An overwhelming majority of Norwegians have defended a symbolic gateway to Northern Norway that stands just north of the Nordland county line. They firmly reject a local university lecturer’s proposal that it be torn down because he thinks it’s artificial and unnecessarily divides the country from the south. Fully 83 percent of nearly 50,000 votes […]
Long lines to recharge car batteries
August 25, 2020
When Norwegians hit the road this summer during Corona-induced holidays in the homeland, many of them were driving their electric cars. Many of them also found themselves stuck in line lines waiting to recharge their cars’ batteries. A new survey by the electric car association in Norway, where electric cars are common, found that fully […]
Solberg strives to avoid shutdown
August 12, 2020
Prime Minister Erna Solberg issued a nationwide appeal on Wednesday for everyone in Norway to follow Corona containment rules, in order to avoid a new shutdown. Rising infection levels have set off alarms at the highest levels of government, which is now also warning against all travel abroad. Solberg and Health Minister Bent Høie also […]
Cruiseships make a cautious comeback
July 31, 2020
A few cruiseships are venturing back into Norwegian harbours, to a mixed welcome. While some local officials are glad to see them return, others warn that the Corona crisis is far from over and many passengers won’t be allowed to go ashore. “We’re very glad the ships are now coming,” Solrunn Hjelleflat, chief executive of […]
Extra ferry may end Helgeland chaos
July 13, 2020
Embarrassed politicians in Nordland County finally came up with the millions needed to charter in an extra ferry this week, after several days of kilometer-long lines of cars trying to travel among the islands of the Helgeland coast. Officials had hoped Norwegian tourists would make up for the lack of foreign tourists in Norway, but […]
Norway eases its border restrictions
July 10, 2020
The Norwegian government relaxed a wide range of border restrictions within Europe and beyond on Friday. It was welcome news for Norway’s troubled tourism industry, family reunions and travel-starved Norwegians, but officials stressed the risk of sudden changes in travel regulations and individual responsibility for the consequences. It all means that Norwegians can once again […]
State may cover travellers’ losses
June 9, 2020
Around 200,00o Norwegians still haven’t been reimbursed for airline tickets and holiday tour packages they purchased before the Corona virus cancelled most all travel abroad. Cash-strapped airlines and travel organizers aren’t readily refunding their customers’ money, which amounts to billions of kroner in Norway alone, but now the state may cover customer losses if the […]
Great start to wild salmon fishing season
June 2, 2020
Norwegian rivers, swelled by record snowmelt, have already yielded some huge wild salmon and trout, and this year, Norwegian sportsfishers have the rivers to themselves. Foreigners willing and able to pay enormous prices to fish in privately owned rivers still aren’t allowed to enter Norway because of Corona virus containment measures. The season officially started […]
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