New figures from accommodation statistics reveal a 1.8% year-on-year increase in hotel stays in Norway from October last year to October this year. A substantial surge in foreign hotel stays resulted in overall growth in the number of overnight stays.
In October this year, there were 1.9 million overnight stays in Norwegian hotels, with nearly 1.6 million attributed to domestic stays, marking a 2.6% decline compared to October last year. Simultaneously, foreign hotel stays increased by over 24%.
“The increase in foreign hotel stays may be related to a historically low Norwegian krone, making Norway a more attractive destination for international tourists,” says Boyd Oyier, an advisor at Statistics Norway (SSB).
Key Points:
- Domestic hotel stays decreased by 2.6% to almost 1.6 million, while foreign hotel stays increased by over 24%, totaling 1.9 million overnight stays in October.
- The surge in foreign hotel stays is potentially linked to the record-low Norwegian krone, enhancing Norway’s appeal to international tourists.
- When including stays at campsites, cabins, and hostels, commercial accommodation establishments experienced a 0.4% overall increase in stays compared to October last year, reaching almost 2.4 million stays. Norwegian stays constituted nearly 1.9 million, with foreign stays at 502,000.
- Hotel stays for conferences and seminars declined by 4.3% compared to October 2022, with Oslo experiencing the largest drop of over 14%.
Regional Variances:
- Compared to October 2022, the highest percentage increase in foreign hotel stays occurred in Innlandet, with a remarkable 95% growth. However, Oslo witnessed the most significant numerical increase, with 24,000 more foreign overnight stays, followed by Vestlandet and Viken with 18,800 and 11,400 additional stays, respectively.
- Some regions, including Vestfold and Telemark, Troms and Finnmark, Agder, Møre og Romsdal, and Svalbard, recorded a decline in overall hotel stays. The most significant decrease was observed in Vestfold and Telemark, with a 6.2% drop.
Regional Disparities in Percentage Change:
- Noteworthy differences exist between Norwegian and foreign overnight stays. For foreign stays, all regions experienced an increase, except Vestfold and Telemark, while Norwegian stays decreased in all regions except Nordland and Trøndelag.
Recovery of Asian Tourism:
- Following a period of significantly low hotel stays from Asia due to the pandemic, recent months have seen a return of Asian tourists. Stays from China, in particular, have seen a substantial increase after several years of low numbers, and there is also significant growth from Japan and South Korea.