Scandinavian countries have seen a “significant increase” in tourism as holidaymakers seek to escape the scorching heat in southern Europe.
As temperatures in popular destinations such as Italy, Spain and Greece soar to 43°C (112°F), tourists are flocking in increasing numbers to cooler destinations in the north.
Boasting beautiful architecture, Denmark is an increasingly popular choice for those looking to escape the scorching summer heat.
Heatwaves hit many European countries last month, prompting authorities to issue health warnings for locals and tourists.
A recent study by the IS Global Institute in Barcelona analysed the impact of heatwaves in 800 regions across 35 European countries in 2023 and found that the total number of deaths due to high temperatures could reach 47,690.
As a result, tourists are turning their backs on southern Europe in favour of Denmark, where the average temperature across the country in July was 16.2°C, according to Denmark's official meteorological institute DMI.
In Denmark, even in midsummer, the sun doesn't set until around 10pm and daytime temperatures reach a warm maximum of 25°C.
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.
Karim Nielsen, CEO of Kolpin Hotels, which owns Copenhagen's Hotel Sanders, believes Denmark has seen an increase in tourism “over the last five or six years, but the last two years in particular have been the busiest.”
“We've definitely seen a big increase in tourists from southern Europe – France, Greece, Spain and Italy,” Nielsen told Euronews.
He added: “At Hotel Sanders, typically 80% of our guests are American, but that number is actually tapering off. We're seeing a lot more guests from Spain and Italy, and southern Europe now makes up about 10% of our total. The official figure was 3-4% so that's a pretty big increase.”
According to data from Visit Denmark, Denmark's official tourism agency, the number of Italian and French tourists visiting the capital region in June this year is expected to jump 23 percent, rising from around 49,000 in 2019 to around 60,000 in 2024.
Rasmussen, owner of Jungshoved Prestigo, a traditional Danish B&B in Plaestow, said the new influx of tourists was coming from southern Europe as well as other parts of northern Europe, including 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 see how good our qualities are. In midsummer, the nights are much longer. We even call them the white nights,” Rasmussen said.
