Mass tourism with cruise ships will weaken Norway’s reputation, says NHO Reiseliv. – “There must be a limit,” says director Kristin Krohn Devold to TV 2.
“Now we have a problem with mass tourism in some places at certain times of the year, and it is mostly related to cruise ships,” says Devold to the channel.
She believes that mass tourism will make the reputation of Norwegian cities worse, and fear states like Venice and Barcelona, if nothing is done. The term mass tourism describes destinations that at times are so packed with tourists that the local people get reduced quality of life, and tourists get worse travel experiences.
“Moreover, these tourists do not put enough money back,” says the NHO director.
“The other tourists, who have driven from afar to stay a week at a hotel and do spend a lot of money, they hardly come out because of the cruise tourists,” says Devold.
Over the past seven years, the number of cruise passengers arriving at Norwegian ports has increased by almost 1.5 million – or just over 56 percent. According to figures from Cruise Norway, 4 million cruise passengers are expected to land in a Norwegian harbor this year.
The most popular ports are Bergen, Geiranger, Stavanger, Ålesund, Flåm, Romsdalsfjorden, Tromsø, Nordfjord, Nordkapp and Oslo.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
