Norway reports record overnight stays in May

Germany remains the leading international market in Norway

May 2024 marked a new milestone for Norway’s tourism sector: With around 3.3 million commercial overnight stays, the country recorded its highest number ever for this month. International guests played a major role in this success, with Germany leading the way at nearly 200,000 overnight stays.

International boom: over one million foreign stays in May

According to the latest data from Statistics Norway (SSB), more than one million overnight stays in May were made by foreign visitors – an all-time high for this month. For comparison: In May 2022, international guests accounted for 23% of all stays, increasing to 26% in 2023, and almost 32% in 2024. SSB advisor Boyd Oyier attributes this growth to favorable exchange rates and Norway’s strong positioning as a nature-based travel destination in international marketing campaigns.

Germany tops the charts

With nearly 200,000 overnight stays, German travelers were once again Norway’s largest international visitor group in May. They were followed by guests from Sweden (108,000), the UK (77,000) and the Netherlands (56,000). Significant growth also came from Asia. The number of Chinese visitors more than doubled, reaching over 21,000 stays, while India saw a 50% increase to nearly 12,000.

Oslo, Northern Norway, and Trøndelag break records

Most regions across Norway reported year-on-year growth. The strongest gains were in Oslo (+55,000 overnight stays), followed by Trøndelag, Nordland, and Troms – all of which hit new record highs. Only Østfold, Vestfold, and Telemark saw slight declines, together accounting for about 10,000 fewer overnight stays.

Hotel stays drive the increase

• Hotels: 2.3 million overnight stays (+9.5%) – Norwegians: +3.9% – Foreign guests: +25%
• Campsites: 709,000 overnight stays (-2.2%) – Norwegians: -4.9% – Foreign guests: +5.9%
• Cabins and hostels: 308,000 overnight stays (+7.1%) – Norwegians: +7.6% – Foreign guests: +6.7%

Header: © Lukas Unsplash