– We have an old saying in the travel industry: For Norwegians, summer vacation is sacred!
Terje Berge, Business Director for Travel at Finn.no says: He was recently at a travel fair in Finland, where Norwegians’ passion for travel was a topic.
Because while Swedes and Finns are pulling back due to, among other things, increased interest rates and high electricity prices, Norwegians are booking like never before.
– Statistics from Finn Reise, all our partners, charter companies and package travel companies, say the same thing: Norwegians are now the most bookers in the Nordic region. Denmark is in second place, followed by Sweden and Finland, with the lowest number of bookings.
Rising prices and a weak krone aren’t stopping Norwegians from booking summer vacations. Now, we mostly book the Nordics, says Terje Berge, Business Director for Travel at Finn.no.
Photo: Finn.no
– It seems to be completely perennial
Hilde Carlsen, sales manager of the travel company Berg-Hansen in Arendal, can confirm that Norwegians love summer vacations.
And it’s not just for summer vacations.
According to Carlson, many people are now booking trips for the fall, Christmas and winter holidays.
– We work closely with the big cruise lines and they say it there too: Norway sells very well on cruises. It seems completely inexplicable, she says.
January is typically a busy month for Carlson and his colleagues at Berg-Hansen:
– but with all the things going on in the world this year, and all the rising costs, we might have thought the price would be a bit high. But we didn’t notice anything else. He says the desire to travel is greater than ever.
Hilde Carlsen, sales manager at travel agency Berg-Hansen, is surprised by the big increase in January: – With everything going on in the world, we probably thought it would be a bit expensive with all the rising costs. But we didn’t notice anything else.
Photo: Leif Dalen / NRK
High prices, but travel a lot
Trips go to places they’ve done in recent years: Spain, Greece and Croatia.
– Prices are higher than usual, but people are traveling more, says Hilde Karlsson.
Both Berge and Carlson believe Norwegians have saved a lot of money for travel during the pandemic and now have some extra savings they can use.
– The range of what people are willing to pay seems to be higher than usual. For now, at least, Carlson says.
Silje Omland, a mother of young children, is surprised that Norwegians are so early in booking trips abroad.
– I would not have guessed that electricity and household goods are so expensive now, he says.
His family did not travel south due to finances and increased expenses.
– We will stay in Kristiansand, where we can welcome friends and family, enjoy the city beach and visit Tierparken.
– Maybe people can’t afford it so badly, wonders John Logan.
He and Rita Lohan did not travel abroad this year. They have a holiday apartment in Kristiansand and want to spend the summer in Norway.
– Jan says that it is not always advisable to go abroad.
Models Kjøstvedt and Line Sangvik choose outings for their joint vacation.
– I’m going to Gran Canaria in April, says Kjøstvet.
Sangwick is planning a trip to Cyprus in the fall, but hasn’t booked yet.
– Maybe the electricity price and interest rate hikes aren’t as high as feared so people can afford vacations, the miracle tax.
Mallen believes more people have saved for travel during the pandemic.
An all inclusive book
Terje Berge at Finn says the booking figures are a bit of a surprise, given that the euro is so strong now.
– That means both Greece and Spain will be more expensive than usual, he says.
– “What we’re seeing is that more and more people are opting for all-inclusive trips,” says Hilde Karlsson.
The reason is that the weak krona and strong euro make excursions and especially destination food and beverage costs uncertain.
– More and more people are finding that opting for an all-inclusive can overestimate the final cost of a vacation. Especially if you have large families. There are many of them, she says.
Many Norwegians dream of Greece, but with the strong euro, holidays can be more expensive than ever.
Photo: Peter Strom / NRK
Going on vacation with family
According to Terje Berg, finn.no now has more traffic than in 2019 before the pandemic.
– Berge says it’s about people looking further than usual to find the best deals.
He says the risk is small for those who book their summer holidays early and get good deals:
– If something happens, with good cancellation policies, for example on charter holidays, you can cancel and get your money back. But many want to go on vacation with their families, especially after two years of lockdown due to the pandemic.
Mallorca is a popular destination for sun-hungry Norwegians.
Photo: Peter Strom / NRK
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