Camping is today the largest form of holiday accommodation in three out of four counties during the summer. At the same time, the industry continues to grow and in 2025 reached a new record of 17.3 million guest nights at Swedish campsites. Svensk Camping is now releasing its new annual report, which gathers statistics, trend forecasts, and future outlooks for one of Sweden's most important tourism industries.
”Many people are unaware of how important the camping industry is for Swedish tourism and for many Swedish destinations. In several parts of the country, campsites account for more than half of all tourist overnight stays during the summer. With the annual report, we want to highlight a stable and growing future industry, but also to lift the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” says Martin Juhos, CEO of Svensk Camping.
The report shows that the camping industry continues its long-term growth. During 2025, the number of guest nights increased by approximately 520,000 compared to the previous year. At the same time, international guest nights, not least from Germany and the Netherlands, continued to increase.
Camping is the leading holiday accommodation for European tourists in Sweden during the summer season. A full 44 percent of all European tourist overnight stays in Sweden between June and August take place at a campsite.
”The potential to grow further in Europe is significant. We particularly see opportunities during periods outside of July. This can contribute to longer seasons, more job opportunities, and stronger destinations throughout the country,” says Martin Juhos.
The report emphasises the importance of collaboration between camping businesses, destinations and public actors for Sweden to strengthen its position as an international camping destination.
Svensk Camping is already running several initiatives to strengthen Sweden's international marketing, including the new Interreg project Nordic Camping Experience together with Norway.
”If Sweden is to continue growing as a camping destination, we need to work more long-term and collaboratively on international marketing. Competition for European travellers is intensifying, while interest in nature, freedom and sustainable holiday types continues to increase,” says Martin Juhos.
The annual report also describes how the camping industry is developing through increased quality, sustainability, and new travel behaviours. Interest in camping and mobile travel continues to grow across Europe, and campsites within the EU had over 413 million overnight stays in 2025.
Some facts from the report:
• 17.3 million guest nights at Swedish campsites in 2025 – a new record.
Camping is the largest form of accommodation in three out of four counties during the summer.
In July, 47 percent of all tourist overnight stays in Sweden were spent at a campsite.
Kalmar County had the highest proportion of overnight stays at campsites – seven out of ten tourist nights during the summer were at a campsite.
• Västra Götaland County had the most overnight stays in camping in 2025 (3.32 million), while Borgholm Municipality topped the list among Swedish municipalities (931.7 thousand).
International guest nights continue to increase, particularly from Germany and the Netherlands.
The camping industry has a turnover of approximately 12 billion SEK and employs around 7,000 man-years.
