All the cool people will be going there this summer.
Scandinavia and other colder regions of Europe see a significant increase in tourists from June to August, fleeing the scorching temperatures that are the norm in popular destinations such as Paris and Rome. Experts say this is due to a desire to
Luxury travel company Kensington Tours said bookings for trips to Norway during the warm weather months were up 37% over last year, particularly to destinations like Bergen on the cool coast.
Bergen, Norway is an increasingly popular destination for summer travelers to Europe. saiko3p – Stock.adobe.com
The company also listed Innsbruck, Austria (about 2,000 feet above sea level in the Austrian Alps) as another less hot summer offering, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Travel booking company Hopper reported a 70% increase in trips to Sweden and a 126% increase in Finland. Interest in the Faroe Islands, a scenic archipelago off the coast of Denmark that has become increasingly well-known in recent years, is also increasing.
Eduardo Santander, Director-General of the European Travel Council, said: “Europe is bracing for the impact of extreme weather events that are becoming increasingly common and are expected to change travel patterns and destination choice in the long term.” said.
Mary Miles, a 33-year-old public relations professional from Baltimore, is planning a trip to Scandinavia with her husband later this year, spending two weeks in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
The cooler weather was an easy signing bonus for Miles' other half.
Tourists are heading to places like Alden in Norway to beat the heat. ZUMAPRESS.com Mountain towns like Innsbruck in Austria are becoming popular due to their cool climate in the summer. saiko3p – Stock.adobe.com
“He's very sensitive to heat,” she told the outlet. “He's worried that he's going to pass out.”
Experts say the reason travelers spend time in these more obscure locations rather than literal tourist hotspots further south is not only because the climate is milder, but also because travelers spend time in the company of other international travelers. He adds that he also enjoys it less.
The trend towards northern destinations extends beyond Europe.
Kayak says domestic interest in traveling to Alaska is up 25%.
The northernmost state is a hub for cruises, said Gillian Simpson of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.
“Across the state, we had a record number of cruise passengers arriving, which was very good,” she told Alaska Public Media earlier this year.
Seward, a major cruise port, expects to welcome at least 200,000 cruise passengers in 2024.
