While it heats up in the south, Denmark's mild temperatures and long hours of sunshine make it the perfect summer getaway for many.
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As temperatures rise in southern Europe, more tourists are flocking to cooler northern destinations.
Denmark, in particular, is becoming an increasingly popular option for people looking to escape the scorching summer heat.
According to a recent report by Denmark's official meteorological institute DMI, the national average temperature for July 2024 was 16.2°C.
In many parts of southern Europe, the high temperatures present a completely different picture.
Italy has been hit by a near-constant heatwave since mid-June, with some areas hitting record highs of over 40C. France also issued heat warnings for several days and saw temperatures top 30C across the country last week.
Southern Europe Meets North
Amid the bustling crowds of Copenhagen's iconic Nyhavn, it's not uncommon to hear scattered French, Spanish and Italian spoken here and there, as tourists from across Southern Europe flock to the city in search of cooler weather.
Sagrario, who normally lives in Madrid, was in Denmark with her daughter on a cruise ship tour around Scandinavia.
“Madrid has had three weeks of heatwaves in a row, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees and 40 degrees,” said Sagrario's daughter Sofia.
Copenhagen's hospitality industry, which has traditionally catered to tourists from Scandinavia and the United States, has seen a big increase in visitors from southern Europe.
“We've definitely seen a big increase in tourists from southern Europe – France, Greece, Spain and Italy,” Karim Nielsen, CEO of Kolping Hotels, which owns Copenhagen's Hotel Sanders, told Euronews.
“We've been seeing this increase for the past five or six years, but the last two have seen a significant increase. And here at Sanders Hotels, typically around 80 percent of our guests are American, but that number has actually been tapering off. We're seeing more guests from Spain and Italy in particular, with guests from Southern Europe now making up about 10 percent of our guests. That's a pretty significant increase from the official figure of 3 to 4 percent,” Nielsen added.
Nielsen attributes the increase to tourists from southern Europe seeking cooler climates up north.
Not just in the capital
South Zealand, about 80 kilometers from Copenhagen, is becoming a new destination for people looking for a cool summer holiday.
“The trend of southern European guests coming to Denmark started about three years ago, was particularly noticeable last year, and this year I would say the numbers are very high – it went from around 5% of guests to 30-35%,” said Philip Rasmussen, owner of Ljungshoved Prestigård, a traditional Danish B&B in Prest.
Rasmussen noted that new contracts with French travel agencies had contributed to the increase, while there had also been a notable increase in visitors from southern Switzerland, Italy and Spain.
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“The topic is the heat wave. In fact, when people ask, 'Why did you visit Denmark?' the first thing they say is the heat wave,” he added.
Patricia Levantis and Frank Vattin, from Marseille, who are staying at Ljungshoved Prestego, said they were happy that the cool Danish weather in late August had enabled them to enjoy outdoor activities.
“It's 25 degrees during the day. At night you can put on a little sweater or a jacket and it's very comfortable,” Wattin said.
Visit Sydsjælland & Møn, the official tourism body for South Zealand and Moen, also acknowledges this trend.
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Bender also said that despite the dark backdrop of the horrific fires in Greece, Denmark was happy to be able to offer a cool respite to victims.
“When you look at things like the fires in Greece, it sets a tragic backdrop, but of course we're happy to say: come here to the North, spend a couple of cool weeks and discover our beautiful nature and culture,” Bender added.
Not just cool weather
Danish tourism industry officials say the influx of new tourists is coming not only from southern Europe, but also from other parts of northern Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
“It's not just people from southern Europe. There are people who used to travel to the south but now choose the north and discover our quality. In midsummer, our nights are much longer – we even call them the white nights,” says Rasmussen.
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During the midsummer solstice, the sun doesn't set in Denmark until around 10pm, meaning there is almost an hour more daylight than in Italy, for example.
According to data from Visit Denmark, Denmark's official tourism agency, the number of Italian and French tourists visiting the capital region jumped 23% in June this year, and is expected to increase from around 49,000 in 2019 to around 60,000 in 2024.
Copenhagen has recently broken records for overnight stays as its popularity grows, a trend explained by Wonderful Copenhagen, the official tourism organisation for the Danish capital region.
But Wonderful Copenhagen says the record-breaking trend isn't just down to cooler weather, but the city's culture and culinary scene.
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