Cold and dark, so I didn't go... but as the Earth heats up, the bustling 'New Tourist Attraction'

As Temperatures Rise, Flights to Cold Tourist Destinations Increase
Norway Emerges as One of Europe's Top 10 Tourist Spots This Year

As the Earth heats up due to climate change, the cold northern Europe is gaining attention as a new 'tourist destination.'

Recently, the American financial media outlet The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing data from the global travel agency 'Kensington Tours,' that travel bookings to Norway from June to August this year increased by 37% compared to the previous year. Bookings for trips to Sweden and Finland also rose by 70% and 126%, respectively.

These countries are located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Due to their cold and dark climate, they have not been considered major tourist powers until now, but recent global warming has caused temperatures at major tourist spots to rise sharply, reversing this perception.

Bergen, Norway [Image source=Norwegian Tourism Board website]

This year, Norway ranked among the top 10 most booked European travel destinations on Kensington Tours. Regarding this, WSJ explained, "Norwegian cities like Bergen and Austrian Innsbruck are gaining popularity as summer vacation spots." Countries in the Northern Hemisphere are not hot even in summer, and the scenery becomes even more beautiful.

A similar trend is observed on the travel information search site 'Kayak.' Among flight searches originating from the United States, there has been a significant increase in searches for flights to cooler destinations.

England, which has a Mediterranean climate with relatively cool summer temperatures, also benefited from this trend. Flight searches to Southampton, England, where the average temperature from June to August ranges from 20.5 to 22.8 degrees Celsius, surged by a remarkable 57% compared to a year ago. Flight searches to Fairbanks, Alaska, also increased by 25%.

WSJ introduced the reason why northern European countries have emerged as 'tourism powers' by stating, "Scandinavian countries are great for enjoying winter sports, and in May, the massive waterfalls created by melting snow are spectacular."