The Nordic outbound travel market

eport, Medieministeriet 2011
The Nordic outbound
travel market
– Potential and possibilities
Member of:

Readers’
guide
Why invest
in the Nordic
countries?
02
The report covers the outbound travel
market in the Nordic Countries: Sweden,
Denmark, Finland and Norway. Differences
between the Nordic countries are relatively
small, so all essential points cover all four
markets. Country specific information is
marked in italics.
All chapters start with a summary of the
most important points. This is followed by
a more extensive review of the subject.
The report is based on extensive research
carried out in May-June 2011. All research
sources are listed at the back.
• Nordic countries are the third largest outbound
travel market in Europe.
• Nordic tourists spend 90 % more money than the average
European tourist on food, accommodation and
attractions while on holiday.
• Nordic tourists have 5-6 weeks holiday each year.
• The level of income in the Nordic countries is generally
high – and a record-high percentage of income is spent on
travelling.
• Nordic tourists are the best tourists in the world in terms
of adaptability to foreign cultures.
• On average around 60 % of the Nordic people take
at least one vacation each year.

Introduction
Contents
04
Medieministeriet has been working with the
tourism and travel market for quite some
time, and throughout this period we have
experienced an increasing demand for more
information about the Nordic outbound
travel market among our clients and
partners.
This report should answer most questions
about Nordic tourists and their great
potential for the global tourism industry. Our
goal is to introduce Nordic tourists to those
who do not know them, explain who they
are, how they act and what they prefer. And
to explain the great potential of this
particular market.
In order to make the report relevant for as
many parties as possible, it covers general
tendencies across the four countries. We
hope this can serve as a foundation when
planning a strategy towards the Nordic
market.
If you want more detailed information, or
if you want to know more about what this
means for your destination, country or hotel,
you are always welcome to contact us.
Yours sincerely,
Henrik Koch
CEO, Medieministeriet
P. 06
01: The Nordic
Travel Market
p. 10
03: The Economic
Situation in the
Nordic Countries
p. 24
05: Important
Segments
p. 08
02: The Nordic
Countries
p. 14
04: Travel Habits
p. 28
06: Booking
Behaviour
and Platforms

Summary
01: The Nordic
Travel Market
The World’s
Best Tourists
A recent research study revealed that
Nordic tourists are the best tourists in the
world - based on ratings in five different
categories:
1. Willingness to speak the local language
2. Polite and approachable
3. Willingness to adapt to local culture
4. Willingness to try the local cuisine
5. Give a generous tip
Nordic tourists take the lead when it comes
to willingness to speak the local language,
and they come in second in the next three
categories: polite and approachable,
willingness to adapt to local culture and
willingness to try the local cuisine.
When it comes to giving a generous tip,
Nordic tourists are only number four, but
since they are so well represented in all
other categories they earn the right to call
themselves “the best”.
06
01: The Nordic
Travel Market
Although the Nordic countries
are sparsely populated, with
only 25 million inhabitants,
the Nordic region is a highly
important market for outbound
travel, making it the
third largest outbound
market in Europe.
They are big spenders
Nordic travellers spend more than USD
20 billion on travelling each year.
Currently, travel spending per capita in
the Nordic countries is among the
highest in the world, far surpassing
spending in Germany and England.
They are frequent travellers
The high spending power facilitates
frequent travel, and almost nowhere
in the world do people travel abroad as
often as the Nordic tourists.
They journey outside Europe
More and more Nordic travellers
(currently more than 18 %) head beyond
the borders of Europe each year in search
for leisure and culture.
They plan more holidays
Statistics show that the Nordic tourists
are planning more holiday travels in 2011.

02: the Nordic
countries
08
02: The Nordic
Countries
Sweden
Population: 9.4 million people
Capital: Stockholm (1,900,000 people)
Vacation: 6 weeks holiday each year
Denmark
Population: 5.5 million people
Capital: Copenhagen (1,182,000 people)
Vacation: 5-6 weeks of holiday each year
Finland
Population: 5.4 million people
Capital: Helsinki (1,364,000 people)
Vacation: 5-6 weeks of holiday each year
Norway
Population: 4.9 million people
Capital: Oslo (599,000 people)
Vacation: 5-6 weeks of holiday each year

03: The Economic
Situation in the
Nordic Countries
10
03: The Economic
Situation in the
Nordic Countries
Summary
Frequent Travellers
– Big Spenders
The level of income in the Nordic
countries is generally high – and a
record-high percentage of income is
spent on travelling. Nordic tourists’ per
capita travel spending is among the
highest in the world and they travel
abroad more frequently than other
tourists in the world.
Over the past ten years, the Nordic
countries have had a noticeably greater
increase in GDP than the average for
Western Europe, and this is expected to
continue in 2011. Nordic tourists’ private
consumption is also seeing a positive
trend.
Since there is a close correlation between
people’s private consumption and
holiday consumption, this will have a
positive influence on the amount of
money spent on holiday travels to
foreign destinations by Nordic tourists.

Forecast for growth of the Nordic
countries’ GDP in local value
GPD
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SWEDEN
+3.1 %
+2.9 %
+2.8 %
+2.5 %
+2.4 %
12
High Level of Income
DENmark
FINLAND
+2.2 %
+2.9 %
+2.3 %
+2.7 %
+2.4 %
*
+2.4 %
*
+2.3 %
*
03: The Economic
Situation in the
Nordic Countries
The Nordic countries differentiate
themselves from other countries by
combining high standards of living and
a relatively even distribution of income.
However, the financing of the Nordic
welfare model entails a heavy tax burden
and a major redistribution of income
compared to most other countries
throughout the world. The level of income
is generally high – and differences in
income levels are relatively small in the
Nordic countries compared to other OECD
countries.
The Nordic economy is the 9th largest
economy in the world, surpassed only
slightly in size by Canada and Spain. Nordic
tourists spend almost USD 700 billion
each year with a record-high percentage of
that sum pertaining to travel and tourism
outside their own countries.
Economic Growth
Economic growth in terms of gross
domestic product (GDP) is a good indicator
for activity in business. This variable has
an apparent correlation with business
travel, but it also influences people’s
holiday travel. The development in GDP
has an impact on elements such as people’s
wages, unemployment etc. and therefore
also on people’s private consumption, which
will affect people’s holiday consumption.
Over the past ten years,
the Nordic countries had a
noticeably larger increase
in GDP than the average in
Western Europe.
Larger GDP-increase than the
Western Europe-average
Over the past ten years, the Nordic
countries had a noticeably larger increase
in GDP than the average in Western Europe
(the 15 EU countries before enlargement).
Measured by GDP per capita, the Nordic
countries have a higher wealth than the
EU-15. Norway’s GDP per capita is as high
as 60 % above the EU-15 average, and
Norway is actually one of the countries
with the highest standard of living.
NORWAY
Private
Consumption
SWEDEN
DENAMrk
FINLAND
NORWAY
+2.3 %
* Figures not available
Source: Oxford Economics
2011
+2.4%
+2.1 %
+2.9 %
+2.5 %
+2.6 %
2012
+2.6 %
+2.2 %
*
+2.5 %
+2.7 %
2013
+2.6 %
+2.1 %
*
+2.2 %
+2.6 %
Forecast for growth of Nordic
tourists’ private consumption
Private consumption is determined by people’s income to savings ratio.
* Figures not available
Source: Oxford Economics
2014
+2.5 %
+2.1 %
*
+2.1 %
+2.4 %
2015
+2.5 %
+2.1 %
*
+2.2 %

04:
Travel
Habits
14
04: Travel Habits
Summary
Looking for Luxury and Unique
Experiences
The Nordic tourists travel a lot and they
will be travelling more in 2011 than in
recent years.
About 50 % of all their travels are to
foreign countries and overseas holiday
travel will become more popular in the
future.
The Nordic countries are the third largest
outbound market in Europe.
Nordic tourists are looking for a warm
climate and cultural experiences when
travelling, while package tours and city
breaks are especially popular.
They are becoming more and more
demanding and will increasingly look for
unique travel experiences in the future.
Numbers
don’t lie
• In 2009, Swedish leisure travellers spent
an average of 100 euro per person per day
• In 2005, Norwegians took more than six
million vacations to foreign countries and
Norwegian tourists also increased their
average expenditure per person
• In 2006, Nordic tourists spent 27 billion
euro on travelling, and that makes
the Nordic countries the third largest
outbound tourism marked in Europe, in
front of France, Spain and Italy.
• On average, each Danish tourist over the
age of 15 spends about 1,167 euro on
their holiday (including transport,
accommodation and consumption)
• Danish tourists aged 24 to 44 are the
biggest spenders with a travel budget of
almost 1,340 euro per holiday
• The average holiday budget for Finnish
tourists in 2010 was about 1,500 euro

How much do they
travel?
Travelling is a distinction from people’s
everyday life. People from the Nordic
countries generally experience pressure
during their leisure time, which means that
travelling in the future will involve more,
but shorter trips.
In Norway, there has been an increase of 4.6
% in travelling abroad from 2006-2011 and
since the millennium, Swedes’ holiday travel
has increased by 17.5 %.
According to new research, 50 % of Swedish
tourists are planning more travels abroad
in 2011 compared to last year. The corresponding
figures for Norway and Denmark
are 42 % and 36 % respectively.
16
04: Travel Habits
Nordic people have long holidays
compared to other countries. 5-6 weeks
is the average for all four countries. They
often take 3 successive weeks in the
summertime, where they have the time to
travel abroad.
Generally, tourists from the Nordic
countries travel a lot and they will be
travelling more in 2011 than in recent years.
• About 50 % of all their travels are to
foreign destinations
• On average, around 60 % of people in the
Nordic countries take at least one holiday
each year and the numbers are increasing
During 2009, Finnish residents aged 15-74
made a total of 5.6 million leisure trips
abroad.
How much money
do they spend on
travelling?
Research shows that Nordic tourists
spend more money on travelling than any
other European group and the numbers
are increasing each year. The research
also shows that after Germany and UK
the Nordic countries are the marked that
spends the most money on travelling in
Europe.
Danish travel spending has for instance
grown 63 % in just three years.
Swedish tourists’ holiday consumption in
2011 is expected to amount to 11.1 billion
euro, while the Norwegian tourists are
expected to spend 11.9 billion euro.
Research shows that
Nordic tourists spend
more money on travelling
than any other European
group and the numbers are
increasing each year.
Nordic tourists spend 90 % more money
than the average European tourists on
food, accommodation and attractions while
away on holiday.
The average Nordic tourist spends
more than 1,000 euro when vacationing
(including transport, accommodation and
consumption).

When and where do
they travel?
They travel in the summertime
Nordic tourists mostly travel in the
summer period. Holiday travel lasting
more than 4 nights typically occurs in July
and August.
30 % of all Danish vacations in 2010 took
place in July and August. This is almost the
same in Sweden with 32.2 % of all annual
outbound travel.
possibility for different experiences, which
is also important for Nordic tourists.
Approximately one out of four holidays go
to a destination outside Europe and the US
is one of the most popular destinations. It
is mainly in the winter that Nordic tourists
make these overseas journeys.
They like a good deal
Nordic travelers are very aware of
exchange rates and make good use of the
possibilities this brings.
I.e. the low dollar rate encourages them to
travel across the Atlantic.
18
04: Travel Habits
Shorter trips becoming popular
Travel patterns are changing, and the
number of tourists who take more than
one vacation each year is increasing. For
instance, they take city breaks in the Easter
period or autumn holidays, and then a
longer vacation in the summer or during
the winter.
They prefer a warm climate
Nordic tourists prefer to travel to destinations
with a warm climate where they can
relax and spend time with family, relatives
and friends. Experiencing big cities and
different cultures are other elements that
attract Nordic tourists when traveling
abroad.
Popular destinations
The most popular holiday destination for
Nordic tourists is Spain. However, there
seems to be an increasing interest in
non-European destinations when buying
package tours.
Holiday destinations such as Turkey,
Bulgaria, Egypt and Tunisia are especially
popular. Holiday travel to these countries
is typically about 15 % cheaper and the
spending money will last longer.
Thailand is a very popular holiday
destination outside Europe and Nordic
tourists are among the most frequent
visitors to Thailand relative to the
countries’ populations. This is due to low
prices for flights and hotels – and the
How do they prefer
to travel?
The most popular forms of travel among
Nordic tourists are:
• All-inclusive Package Tours
• City Breaks
• Cruises
All-inclusive Package Tours
All-inclusive Package Tours are especially
popular among families with children.
All-inclusive hotels and holiday apartments
are popular due to convenience and the
need to know the exact cost of a holiday.
Travel patterns are
changing, and the number
of tourists who take more
than one vacation each
year is increasing.
There is a widespread tendency among
Nordic families with children to have a
greater focus on luxury than before. This
means choosing 4 or 5 star hotels when
booking. Some travel agencies are also
experiencing an increase in exclusive
family travel, such as safari trips where
parents take their children out on great
adventures.
City Breaks
Generally city breaks are popular all year
round and the increasing supply of lowpriced
flights to popular metropolitan
destinations has affected city breaks’
popularity among Nordic tourists.
Destinations such as London and New York
are the most popular. London is attractive
because of cheap flights and New York is
enduringly popular.
There is a widespread
tendency among Nordic
families with children to
have a greater focus on
luxury than before.
The purpose of this kind of break from
everyday life is to feel good, eat well and
do some shopping. Barcelona and Paris are
also popular all year round destinations.
Cruises
Cruises are another form of travel that
Danes dream about in particular, and
large ships with relative low prices and
smaller ships with relatively high prices
are popular.
How do they prefer
to stay?
Statistics show that hotels and similar
establishments are the preferred type
of accommodation for Europeans when
vacationing. This is also applicable to
Nordic tourists.
54 % of the Danish tourists prefer to stay
at hotels when travelling, while 20 %
lodge with family or friends. 5 % prefer to
go camping, 9 % want to stay in a rented
holiday home and 4 % have their own
holiday property.
Statistics show that 6.6 million Finnish
overnight stays were in hotels, which is an
increase of four percent since 2008. 3.9
million overnight stays were in rented
cottages, which is an increase of three
percent.
Norwegians also prefer hotels as their
first choice of accommodation. 63 % stay
in hotels followed by campsites, rented
holiday homes and other commercial
accommodation.

Career
travellers
As tourism develops, there seems to be
a shift away from purely external travel
determinations, such as demography and
climate towards internal determinations,
such as self-development and creative
expression.
As people in the Nordic countries travel
more, they also become more aware of the
culture and environment of the places they
visit, and they reflect more on their own
experiences and lifestyle.
As travel experiences become richer, they
feed the desire for more travelling. People
are therefore becoming so-called career
travellers, demanding an endless source
of new experiences and looking for deeper
experiences within the communities they
visit.
20
04: Travel Habits

22
04: Travel Habits
What do they want?
According to new research, there are five
important factors when Nordic tourists
choose a holiday destination.
• Culture and local people
• Cleanliness
• Active holidays
• Shopping
• Restaurants
Nordic tourists are very similar when
it comes to their travel habits and
preferences.
What will they be
looking for?
New perspectives
As people in general travel more and
gain greater insights through their own
experiences and the Internet, they also
become more demanding in relation to
future vacations. Overseas travel and
unique travel experiences are future travel
trends among Nordic tourists.
Nordic tourists want experiences that give
new perspectives in their lives. They will
still travel to popular Spain, but there will
be an increasing interest and desire to
travel to more exotic destinations.
USA and Canada will remain popular, but
other destinations such as Brazil, Australia,
Japan and exotic places as Samoa and East
Timor will be popular travel destinations
in the future.
Unique experiences
Unique experiences that have not been
tried before will become more popular.
This could be a culinary experience, such
as cooking local meals.
Travel Forms
Important
Factors
Activities
Preferred
Transport
Sweden
Package tour
City breaks
Climate
Cleanliness
Culture
Sunbathing
Swimming
Shopping
Air travel
Denmark
Package tour
City breaks
Climate
Culture
Local People
Relaxing
Sightseeing
Shopping
Restaurants
Air Travel
Finland
Package tour
City breaks
Climate
Culture
Shopping
Sports
Air Travel
Norway
Package tour
City breaks
Climate
Cleanliness
Culture
Relaxing
Shopping
Sports
Air Travel
Remote destinations are also expected to
become more popular.
Sustainability, wellness and
authenticity
Nordic tourists will be more climateconscious
in terms of sustainability and
they will also search for travel forms that
include wellness activities.
In addition, authentic experiences will be
popular such as meeting local people in
their local surroundings and participating
in volunteer activities. Volunteering is also
popular since students can accumulate
points in relation to their education.

24
05: Important
Segments
05: Important
Segments
There are three important segments with
great potential when entering the Nordic
travel market.
They are:
• Families with children
• Singles with no children
• Empty Nesters
Travel activity is increasing for all groups.
This chapter will highlight the most
important characteristics in terms of travel
habits and potential.
Families with
children
Families with children are an important
segment in the outbound tourism market.
These families typically use the school
holidays to be together and to experience
things together because the parents have
less and less time.
Why do they go?
The most important aspects for these
families when travelling are:
• The children should have fun
• The family should have shared
experiences
• The parents want to relax
• The parents need time with their children
• The children should be active
Previously, holiday destinations were the
most important aspect when families were
choosing a holiday. This is no longer the
case. There is an increasing tendency for
families to focus more on luxury, which
includes booking 4-5 star hotels with
child-friendly facilities. Families want to
retain the same good standards that they
have at home.
All-inclusive is key
This is closely related to the fact that allinclusive
holidays are becoming more
popular among families in the Nordic
region.
The majority of Nordic tourists who take
all-inclusive holidays are families with
children, and the reasons for choosing
these are convenience and control over
expenses. Five years ago, only 3 % of
all package-tour travellers preferred
all-inclusive holidays, but the numbers
are increasing and in 2010, the figure in
Denmark alone was more than 15 %.
Holiday destinations such as Egypt
and Turkey are popular among packagetour
travellers because of low priced
all-inclusive offers.
Five years ago, only 3 % of
all package-tour travellers
preferred all-inclusive
holidays, but the numbers
are increasing and in 2010,
the figure in Denmark
alone was more than 15 %.
Child friendly and safe
Another important factor for Nordic
families is that they discover child-friendly
places when deciding where to stay. They
consider a place child-friendly when they
are secure, employ staff with a positive
attitude towards children, have access
to water parks, playgrounds and childfriendly
menus at restaurants.

26
05: Important
Segments
Singles
Singles either travel with other singles
or they go alone, which more and more
singles are daring to try.
Single culture is growing, and a large
proportion of singles have no children.
This makes singles’ holiday travel a
growing industry.
More and more dare to
travel alone
Research carried out by a dating site
showed that 30 % of male respondents
and 26 % of female respondents are
open towards singles’ vacations and have
considered taking one.
Singles holiday travelling is a tendency that
can be compared to dating on the Internet:
it was considered taboo 10 years ago, but
today it is a well-known phenomenon.
Singles’ camping is also a new tendency
that more and more people are trying.
Why do they go?
The advantages of singles’ holidays are
freedom and social interaction between
single travellers. Only 30 % of the women
and half of the men would travel to find
a partner. Instead, the majority choose
singles vacations in order to find new
friends and share experiences.
Empty Nesters
Empty nesters are adult couples, aged 45+ with
no children living at home.
This group used to focus their time on
their children and grandchildren, but in
the future they will spend more time on
themselves, and the biggest share of their
leisure time consumption will be on travel.
It is expected that the
empty nester segment
will make up 21 % of the
world’s population by
2050.
A growing segment
Empty nesters are a rapidly growing
segment globally and in all the Nordic
countries
It is expected that the segment will make
up 21 % of the world’s population by 2050.
In Denmark, the number of people over 60
will make up 33 % of the Danish population.
This makes them very interesting for the
outbound travel market.
They have money and are
ready to spend it
Empty nesters will typically have paid
off their mortgages, while also owning
countryside cottages and possibly holiday
homes abroad. They are generally a
wealthy segment of society and they spend
slightly more money than other tourists
when on vacation.
They also take longer vacations and most
of them are able to travel outside of peak
season, for instance in September, April
and May since they are no longer working.
• 48 % prefer to stay in holiday apartments
• 30 % prefer hotels without children
Why do they go?
There are many different types of couples,
with different needs when travelling.
Generally, empty nesters are travelling to
have experiences and they will not waste
their time relaxing in a hammock. Instead,
they want to take different trips that
are more physically demanding, such as
cycling and hiking in the countryside.
More than half want to make unusual trips
to have holiday experiences. Living in the
centre and dining at restaurants are also
highly preferred among this segment.
Research shows that
• 56 % mention renewed energy as one
element they get out of their holiday
• 33 % emphasise time for romance
• 30 % state they strengthen their
relationship
Empty nesters are an
attractive target group
due to the fact that they
• Have a great desire to travel
• Have a lot of money
• Spend more money than the average
tourist
• Take longer vacations
• Can take vacations outside the peak
season

06: Booking
Behaviour and
Platforms
28
06: Booking Behaviour
and Platforms
Summary
Information Searchers
– Online Bookers
The Nordic countries are at the forefront
when it comes to penetration and use of
Information and communication
technologies (ICT).
Nordic tourists are therefore well
acquainted with and heavy users of all
the new communication platforms.
This means that online information
searches on the Internet are increasing
and an average of 60 % book their
vacations online.
Nordic tourists prefer booking online
because it is flexible and they can search
and plan their holiday exactly the way
they want it, and they can do it
whenever it fits their busy schedule.
The high level of ICT penetration also
means that social and mobile media
play an important role when tour
operators are inspiring or communicating
with potential tourists.

30
06: Booking Behaviour
and Platforms
Planning and
Booking
Active Online Searchers
Nordic tourists gather more information
than the average European tourist.
Information searches on the Internet are
increasing and an average of 60 % book
their vacations online. In Norway, travel
and holidays are the most bought or
ordered products online.
Booking should be flexible
Nordic tourists prefer booking online
because it is flexible and they can search
and plan their holiday exactly the way they
want it, and they can do it whenever it fits
their busy schedule.
• 63 % are satisfied with planning their
holiday themselves
• 57 % used three or more websites to
plan their holiday
• 39 % will definitely plan their next
holiday themselves
Increased use of online booking also
means that people have expectations in
relation to making a good deal, for instance
when booking a hotel room.
The women make the decisions
Research shows that women take the lead
when vacations are being planned and
booked. 4-5 years ago only one in four
women decided on the holiday.
This is primarily because women are
more comfortable using the Internet when
buying goods online, including holiday
travel.
Women handle all the preliminary work,
searching the Internet, reading magazines
and speaking to friends and relatives to
gain inspiration about their own vacation.
Research shows that
women take the lead
when vacations are being
planned and booked. 4-5
years ago only one in four
women decided on the
holiday.
Children have some influence, especially
when it comes to taking the initiative, but
they have less say than their parents in the
decision making process.
The most important sources of
information
The most important sources of
information/reasons for choosing a
specific destination for Nordic tourists, are:
1. Been there before
2. Google.com
3. Recommendations from friends
or families
4. Official website for travel agency
5. Official website for hotels,
attractions etc.
What’s important?
Inspiration from the Internet makes up
three out of five information sources and
therefore it plays a very important role
in terms of searching for inspiration and
booking a holiday.
What’s not important?
The most ineffective information sources
are TV spots, exhibition visits and travel
programmes on TV. Nordic tourists clearly
prefer new communication technologies
over traditional media.

network
readiness
The Networked Readiness Index is the
capacity of countries to fully benefit from new
technologies in their competitiveness strategies
and their citizens’ daily lives.
Source: The Global Information Technology
Report (2010-2011)
Country/
Economy
1 sweden
2 Singapore
3 finland
4 Switzerland
5 Unite States
6 Taiwan, China
7 Denmark
8 Canada
9 Norway
Score
5.6
5.59
5.43
5.33
5.33
5.30
5.29
5.21
5.21
32
06: Booking Behaviour
and Platforms
New Technology
Experts
The pace of technological advance is
accelerating and ICT is increasingly
becoming an essential part of people’s
behaviour and social networks. Mobile
phones, smart phones, computers and the
Internet have opened up new channels of
communication.
Several studies show that the Nordic
countries are at the forefront when it
comes to ICT penetration and use.
They are familiar with ICT
Nordic tourists have a high individual
usage level of ICT tools and the number
of mobile and broadband Internet
subscribers, Internet users, PCs, mobile
phone subscriptions with data access and
Internet access in schools is high.
How can they
be reached?
Smartphones
An application for
every vacation
For smartphones, new travel-related
apps are constantly becoming available.
I.e. travel tips, translation apps, cultural
information, navigation and maps, flight
information and taxi cab services.
Last minute booking made easier
The use of mobile phones and other mobile
devices makes it easier to make last minute
bookings, while last minute decisions
about when and where people want to
travel will increase.
With large booking portals and apps
like “hotels near me”, it is possible to
be anywhere in the world and book the
nearest hotel straight away.
Social Media
Everybody’s there
Young people are developing a wave of
social media activities. Older generations
have been influenced by the use of social
media and the behaviour of young people
and are themselves increasingly active
users of social media.
Most people in the Nordic countries have
a personal Facebook profile and are active
users of the site.
• Norway - 52 %
• Denmark - 46 %
• Sweden - 44 %
• Finland - 35 %
Facebook
Pictures encourage Travelling
The sharing of holiday snaps is a popular
activity on Facebook, and research shows
that pictures have a very strong influence
on Facebookers’ travel plans.
• 52 % state that seeing friends’ holiday
pictures had inspired them to book a
holiday to the same destination
• 45 % say that Facebook encourages
them to visit their friends abroad more
Twitter
Where are you?
The social networking and microblogging
service Twitter has rapidly gained
popularity, especially in USA – but in recent
times the Nordic people have start taking it
to heart.
The Twitter application, MySkyStatus,
lets users automatically share flight
information via Twitter, Facebook or
LinkedIN while in the air. The site is open
for all major airlines and the site has
distributed more than 400,000 status
updates.

34
Research
Sources
Statistics and reports
European Commission: Survey on the
attitudes of Europeans towards tourism,
2011
European Travel Commission: Tourism
trends for Europe, 2006
Eurostat (European Statistics from the
European Commission): Inbound and
outbound tourism in the European Union,
2006
Eurostat (European Statistics from the
European Commission): Tourism Statistics,
2008
Ministry of Transport in Denmark: Danish
Airfreight, 2015, 2005
Norden (The official collaboration of
the Nordic countries): Nordic Statistical
Yearbook, 2010
Statistics Denmark: Denmark in numbers
2011, 2011
Statistics Denmark: Spain and Italy as
favorite destinations, 2010
Statistics Denmark: Danish Facebook
habits, 2009
Statistics Finland: Finnish residents’
leisure trips increased and business travelling
declined in 2009, 2010
Statistics Norway: Most Norwegians prefer
to travel in the summer holiday season,
2010
Statistics Norway: More popular to travel
abroad, 2007
Statistics Norway: Number of holiday trips,
by main destination and different criteria,
2007
Statistics Norway: Travel Survey, 2005
Statistics Sweden: The Travel and Tourism
Industry in Sweden, 2008
Visit Denmark: Tourism in numbers, 2009
Visit Denmark: Forecast on Danish
Tourism 2011-2015, 2011
Visit Denmark: Mom, dad and kids - roles
and wishes in connection with the family
vacation, 2004
Visit Denmark: Market profile of Finland,
2010
Visit Denmark: Market profile of Norway,
2011
Visit Denmark: Market profile of Sweden,
2009
Visit Denmark: Swedish adult couples,
2005
Visit Finland: Outbound Travel:
Ruotsi – Sweden, 2010
Zunia Knowledge Exchange: The Global
Information Technology Report 2010-
2011, 2011.
Databases and websites
Agri-info.eu (www.agri-info.eu)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
(www.udenrigsministeriet.dk)
New Media Trend Watch (The European
Travel Commission)
(www.newmediatrendwatch.com)
Official Site of Scandinavian Tourist Boards
of North America (www.goscandinavia.
com)
Statistics Denmark (www.dst.dk)
Statistics Finland (www.stat.fi)
Statistics Norway (www.ssb.no)
Statistics Sweden (www.scb.se)
Articles
Check-in (Danish travel magazine): The
frequency of the Danes restaurants visit on
holiday, 2011
Check-in (Danish travel magazine):
The Danish tourists choose luxury hotels
on their holiday, 2011
Check-in (Danish travel magazine):
Intercon
tinental routes set a record in 2010, 2011
Check-in (Danish travel magazine): Star
Tour wants to focus on couples’ travels,
2010
Check-in (Danish travel magazine):
All inclusive is a hit, 2010
Check-in (Danish travel magazine): CHP
strengthens the intercontinental traffic,
2010
Crezcan: About the Nordic travel market,
2011
Din Side (Norwegian travel website): Don’t
relax on holiday, 2011
Fri.dk (Danish lifestyle website):
Singles travel together, 2008
Guide 24 (Danish news site):
The airlines focus on Denmark in 2010,
2010
Helsinki Times (Finnish national
newspaper): Facebook lacks friends in
Finland, 2011
Hotels.com: Young Danes dream about
shopping, sun and thrill, 2009
Invest in Finland (Finnish business
website): All-inclusive holiday a growing
trend among Finnish tourists, 2011
Invest in Finland (Finnish business
website): Travel agencies in Finland expect
a year of growth for foreign travel, 2011
Invest in Finland (Finnish business
website): Finland’s future pensioners will
spend more money on travelling, 2010
Jyllands-Posten (Danish national
newspaper): Scandinavians are the best
tourists in the world, 2011
My News Desk – Hotels.com: The Danes
have 5 ½ weeks holiday, 2011
New Media Trend Watch (The European
Travel Commission): Friends’ holiday
pictures on Facebook inspire 52 percent to
book a holiday the same place, 2011
Rejsefeber (Danish travel website): New
research, section: activities and preferences,
2011
Rejse Guide (Danish travel website):
Couples disagree on the destination, 2010
Rejseliv (Danish travel website):
More people choose to travel outside of the
Euro countries, 2011
Rejseliv (Danish travel website):
Travel trends 2010: We want unique experiences
far far away, 2010
Rejseliv (Danish travel website): Travel
trends 2010: We want to do it ourselves
and it has to be unique, 2010
Stand By (Scandinavian travel magazine):
Every third has their holiday planned,
2011
Skyscanner – Flight search: Explore: Travel
features, 2011
The Local – Sweden’s news in English: Fast
facts: Swedes’ travel habits, 2007
TIC Travel (Danish online travel
community): The Danes want to live in
luxury on their
holiday, 2011
TIC Travel (Danish online travel
community): 3 travel trends in 2011, 2011
Travelmarket (Danish travel website):
Danes’ most popular searches, second half
of 2010, 2011
TV 2 Norge (Norwegian national television):
The Norwegians have new travel
habits, 2011
Zoover World (blog about travel news, tips,
trends and research): Social media during
holiday, 2011

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