Escaping Europe’s extreme heat seems to be a strong trend this summer. In northern Sweden, increased pressure from European tourists is noticeable.
What attracts is above all the nature and the mild temperatures.
– We don’t need 30 degrees, says German tourist Hanger Mudder.
It seems that there will be record numbers for tourists in Sweden this summer, according to a survey from SCR, trade association for Swedish camping. In particular, there is an increase among foreign tourists, which can be explained by the fact that more and more people are looking north.
– We have high hopes that more foreign tourists will come to us this summer, says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of the Swedish Lapland Nordic Visitors Board, which represents the hospitality industry in northern Sweden.
An increase in tourists from countries outside Scandinavia is noticeable at campsites in the north. At Piteå havsbad, Dutch tourists have increased by 89 percent, and German tourists by 79 percent. Excluding Norway, the campsite has increased its total tourism by 372 percent, compared to the same period last summer.
Following the trend
Among Norrland’s new tourists are the Germans Veronica Schwarz and Karl Heinz Schwarz, who followed the summer trend – “coolcation”.
– It’s not as hot here as in Italy, says Karl, and Veronica agrees.
– The nature and the people, it’s so nice.
And they notice that more tourists are traveling north.
– Many have gone south a lot in recent years, but now we are coming north, says Karl Heinz Schwarz.