– Norway has raised itself. The service and the offer has been much better. When I was here in the 1980s, it was not easy to find a good restaurant. Now it’s good eateries also in smaller towns – as good as we have in Stockholm, says the Swede Arne Björhn.
A few days ago traveled the 63-year-old businessman from Stockholm on their annual fishing trip to Alesund – together with five buddies. Where they went up one big cod after the other, and each of them could, after two days of fishing go back to Sweden with 10.8 kg of loins – the inner fillet of cod. Local boater Stein Magne Hoff, who runs the firm Actin, was skipper and guide.
– In the last month I have had 36 trips, many of them with Swedes. Several of them combines skiing and fishing. Is it bad weather to ski, they go out and fish, says Hoff.
It has become cheaper in Norway
The statistics confirm the impression. Last year Norwegian accommodations record many Swedish guests. Tourism Director Per-Arne Tuftin of Innovation Norway believe there are several factors that have recorded:
– Firstly, it is easy to travel here. Meanwhile, the Norwegian krone weakened slightly and made it slightly cheaper to vacation here. But I also believe knowledge of Norway has increased, and hopefully have our market activity in Sweden had an effect. In addition we will not disregard the fact that the many Swedes who work here in the country, also draws some extra visitors.
A few years ago, the Swedes under 80 million when they exchanged one hundred patch to Norwegian kroner. Today they will have over 90 million.
– We should not exaggerate the consequences of high exchange rate, but we notice it, says Tuftin.
The exotic nature Lures
Buddy gang from Stockholm had gone to Norway although the Norwegian krone had been expensive. They travel to Norway namely with only one goal: To eat self-caught fish. And the experience they are willing to pay a little. Own boat is chartered for two days, and the chef at the restaurant Maki at Brosundet Hotel, made in the year that they could enjoy the fish in Ålesund.
– By just taking two short flights from Stockholm we get the opportunity to do something completely different. It’s quite fantastic to be here, they say – and has the following explanation for why more Swedes now traveling to Norway:
– Here’s an environment that we recognize us. We have the same humor. But there is a difference: The scenery here is absolutely exotic, they believe.
For buddy gang is also another important reason for choosing the destination: they are almost guaranteed fish. At this time of year draws coastal cod and cod almost into the harbor basin in Alesund – to spawn – and the Swedes got what they came for, including a whopper of all of 28 pounds.
– It’s fun to come home with fish. Then also wives our home where happy,
Fewer Danes come
But it is not all neighbors who are just as eager to visit Norway. While traffic from Sweden goes up, the trend is the opposite in Denmark. Just since 2008, the amount of Danish guests by Norwegian accommodations have been reduced by over 25 percent.
– The shortfall is in winter. After several years of growing winter tourism from Denmark, we saw that it began to turn a few years ago. I have no other explanation than a strong Norwegian krone, says Per-Arne Tuftin of Innovation Norway. He hopes it will turn in Denmark and that the increase from Sweden is not a blip.
– We must deliver good quality to get more tourists, and it begins the tourism industry to be aware of.
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