Interest in hiking in the Swedish mountains is expected to be particularly high this summer due to the corona crisis, but at the same time, restrictions are being introduced on how many people are allowed to stay overnight in the Swedish Tourist Association's (STF) mountain cabins.

Hikers must now book and pay in advance and there will only be a limited number of pre-purchases per cabin so that it doesn't get too crowded.

– If you plan to go out, but don't do it, then you can't be sure that you have a roof over your head, because here safety and the hygiene regulations we have must come first, says Niklas Winbom, STF's mountain manager.

The rule applies with one exception.

– If an emergency situation arises, we will of course solve it, says Niklas Winbom.

The tourist association is removing approximately 30 percent of the beds in its mountain cabins from bookings in order to create distance between guests in accordance with the Public Health Agency's recommendations, and socializing in living rooms and kitchens will not be allowed.

– It is also because we need to ensure that we can also provide a safe and good stay for the guests, says Niklas Winbom.

STF has around 40 cabins in the mountain range, and there are also private individuals and companies that run cabin operations there, and many of them are expected to introduce similar rules, says Johanna Ögren, marketing manager at Swedish Lapland, which represents tourism companies primarily in Norrbotten County.

– I believe the guidelines that STF will work according to will also be effective among other private actors, says Johanna Ögren.

Interest in hiking in the mountains is greater than earlier this year due to the fact that the opportunity to travel abroad is so limited now, says Niklas Winbom.

– There is still a lot of uncertainty about whether people will be able to travel, when restrictions will be lifted, and so on, but we notice that there is high demand and interest.

Source: sverigesradio.se