The Norwegians provided almost full overnight lodgings in July

After four consecutive months of solid decline, the number of overnight stays in July was almost normal, with a decrease of 3.1% compared to July last year.

Agder and Nordland had the largest increase, while the fall was greatest in Oslo and Vestland.

The accommodation records from Statistics Norway show that there were 6.4 million overnight stays in Norwegian hotels, campsites and rental cabins in July.

Due to the situation of the corona, there was an abrupt shift from international to Norwegian overnight accommodation. The number of Norwegian nights increased by 39%, while foreigners’ stays decreased by 79%.

Norwegians are not enough

The government’s call to add to this year’s alternative holiday period in Norway was followed by the vast majority. The figures in Norwegian statistics show this clearly. Norwegian overnight stays in hotels were up by 35%, in campsites by 40%, and in cottages and hostels by 65%.

However, the hotel industry has been affected the most. Several hotels were closed, and especially those with traditionally more foreign guests faced difficulties.

A total of 9% spent fewer nights in Norwegian hotels than in the same period last year. Overnight stays by foreigners decreased by 83%.

Large regional differences

In Svalbard, the number of hotel accommodations was reduced by 51% and in Oslo by 47%. In Agder and Møre and Romsdal, the number of hotel accommodations increased by 25 and 19% respectively.

“Accommodation statistics from Norway confirm that there have been large regional differences in the destinations that have attracted guests this summer. It clearly shows that Norwegians cannot compensate for the loss of foreign tourists in some of our most important tourist destinations,” says CEO at NHO Reiseliv Kristin Krohn Devold.

Alarming

“It is alarming to see that several popular destinations have had such a sharp decline in overnight stays in July, which is a very important month of earnings for tourism,” she adds.

Krohn Devold announces a tough autumn for tourism:

“With no vacationers and an almost completely red Europe, hotels and restaurants are completely dependent on the course and conference market to recover in the autumn. But if there is a maximum limit of 200 people being gathered at once, few people book larger meetings and conferences,” says Krohn Devold.

The NHO Reiseliv has long called for the current compensation scheme for tourism to continue throughout the year, and the government has also promised more financial support.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today