I n Norway , nature is something of a national obsession. Norwegian children are taught that “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”, and Norwegian babies are packed into thermals and overalls and taken on day trips to the woods. Cross-country skiing, hunting for wild mushrooms or cloudberries, or huffing and puffing up a mountain are standard weekend activities.
The recent decision to scrap a campaign that aimed to attract more foreign tourists to the country’s rural landscapes was a stark reminder of this: rather than encouraging tourists and the income they provide, many Norwegians would prefer to protect their natural environment. Norway has some extremely beautiful landscapes, such as Lofoten , a stunning chain of islands that offers northern lights during the winter months and midnight sun during summer, and the countless breathtaking fjords. It is therefore no surprise that tourist numbers have surged in the last few years.
Lofoten, for instance, has seen a 15% increase in tourism from 2022 to 2023. And this summer has seen a record number of vehicles on the road in the area, as many Europeans drive to Norway. Another contributing factor to the explosion in tourism is the newly started direct flights from cities in western Europe like London and Amsterdam to “the Paris of the north”: nearby Tromsø.
Visiting Norway from the US and European countries has also become cheaper than it used to be as the currency rate has dropped. Norway has enou.