Germans are once again the most frequent foreign tourists in Sweden. And it is parts of Norrland that are increasingly attracting visitors.
The weak krona contributes, which also meant that more Swedes vacationed at home.
Sweden was a popular travel destination this summer. During the period June–August, the number of guest nights at hotels, campsites, holiday villages and hostels in Sweden increased by five percent compared to the same period last year, according to new figures from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. Overall, the number of Swedish tourists increased by six percent, while foreign tourists increased by two percent.
”The weak krona has an impact, but it is also an international trend with increased travel around the world,” says Sofi Sjöberg at the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.
A weaker krona makes it cheaper for foreign tourists to travel in Sweden, while Swedes have a more expensive trip abroad.
The weather probably also has an impact. The extremely hot summer of 2018 caused Swedes to stay home more this year and hope for a repeat. At the same time, foreign tourists may have fled the heat on the continent to the normally cooler Nordic countries. Both the French and tourists from the Netherlands came to Sweden in increasing numbers this summer. Germans also became more numerous and thus overtook Norwegians as the most common tourist in Sweden, based on the number of guest nights, which does not include accommodation in self-owned cottages.
The Chinese also increased significantly, with an 18 percent increase in overnight stays. The debate from Chinese officials about Chinese being treated badly in Sweden does not seem to have affected tourism.
The big cities attract the most visitors, as usual, but Stockholm County lost visitors this year. Gävleborg County is this year's tourist rocket, up 33 percent. And even further north, the influx was increasing, according to preliminary statistics.
”All of Norrland shows a large increase overall,” says Sofi Sjöberg.
Source: TT
