The tourism industry in Dalarna can now sum up the summer of 2024. New statistics from Tillväxtverket (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth) show an increase in the number of overnight stays during the summer months. At commercial accommodations in Dalarna, the number of overnight stays during June, July, and August amounted to just over 1.4 million – an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to last summer.
It is the foreign guests, primarily from Norway, who are responsible for the increase in Dalarna, with camping as a form of accommodation having increased the most compared to 2023 – a whole 13 percent.
Beyond Norway, visitors from the Netherlands and Germany constitute the most important foreign markets for Dalarna. What stands out is that the average length of stay for foreign guests has increased significantly. Cottages and apartments are the preferred form of accommodation for many of our foreign guests, and they stay an average of 6.6 days, which is 1.7 days longer than in 2023 – a positive contribution to more sustainable travel.
– Dalarna is experiencing a good recovery after last summer, which was negatively affected by the extensive rainfall. The low valuation of the krona has also had a positive impact. The trend shows that guests generally book later and later, but here we see that package deals and experiences are often booked further in advance and that the trips go ahead regardless of the weather, which makes things easier for operators in terms of, for example, planning and staffing, says Chatarina Eriksson, CEO of Visit Dalarna.
Active holiday
Information points across Dalarna report that the trend linked to outdoor and cultural experiences, preferably combined, is continuing as this is what visitors are seeking on location.
Dalarna has a strong offering in nature and culture that appeals to both Swedish and international visitors throughout the year. We are seeing demand for bookable activities at accommodation facilities, so we will continue to actively encourage and create opportunities for collaboration between accommodation and activity providers, says Chatarina Eriksson.
Continued strong demand for hiking and cycling
Walking and cycling are the most in-demand activities. The almost ten million that Visit Dalarna has allocated through the project ”Invest in trails in rural Dalarna” has gone to the development of hiking and cycling trails in ten Dalarna municipalities. The investments made in trail infrastructure in Dalarna have been well-spent money, with areas such as Sälenfjällen, Orsa Grönklitt, and Säfsen now having new trails for both cycling and walking.
– We are seeing a continued increase in international guests, which is in line with our plan and the efforts we are making to help more businesses reach the international market. Based on the continued strong demand for hiking and cycling activities, we see that the work on trail development needs to continue to meet visitors' needs and wishes, always with sustainability in focus, says Chatarina Eriksson.
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Regarding the statistics:
The statistics for 2024 are provisional; the final figures will be confirmed in spring 2025.
Tillväxtverket is responsible for accommodation statistics, which are part of Sweden's official statistics. It reports on overnight stays, capacity, occupancy rates, and guests' countries of origin for commercial accommodation facilities in Sweden (hotels, cottage villages, hostels, commercially rented private cottages and apartments, and campsites).
Guest nights are a measure of the number of nights guests spend at commercial accommodation establishments.
According to a press release.
