Travel News: Holiday Stress and Summer Travel Trends

By: Editorial Office | Source: press material

It was Monday again, which as usual means travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. This week the press releases show that summer and the holidays are approaching...!

Interest in motorhomes and caravans reaches new heights

Camping with a motorhome and caravan continues to be popular. In a new Sifo survey from Forsbergs Fritidscenter, 66 percent of Swedes say they either already vacation on wheels or would consider doing so – the highest level since the surveys began.

Interest is highest in the counties of Västernorrland and Jämtland, where 75 percent vacation or would consider vacationing in a motorhome or caravan. Interest is lowest in the metropolitan regions, where the corresponding proportion is 61 percent.

Proportion who camp with a motorhome/caravan

• Regularly – 10 %
• Occasionally – 21 %
• Regularly or occasionally + can imagine – 66 %

This is why Swedes choose a motorhome or caravan on holiday

• Freedom to travel wherever you want – 77 %
• Possibility of various activities – 39 %
• Affordable holiday – 28 %
• Community – 11 %
• Safe – 6 %
• Meet new people – 5 %

Press release – May 21, 2026

Sweden's 5-star campsites 2026 – record increase in number of classified

Ahead of the 2026 season, a total of 179 campsites have been classified – the highest number to date and a clear increase from last year’s 151 facilities. Of these, 14 campsites have been awarded five stars.

At the same time, the number of four-star campsites is increasing. By 2026, there are now 67 four-star facilities, which is more than the previous year. The classification is carried out by Svensk Camping and is based on criteria such as service, standard, facilities and experience. Sweden's five-star campsites in 2026:

• Borstahusen Camping Resort, Landskrona, Skåne
• Byske Sea Baths, Skelleftea, Vasterbotten
• Böda Sand Beach Resort, Öland
• Daftö Resort, Strömstad, Vastra Gotaland / Bohuslän
• Destination Apelviken, Varberg, Halland
• First Camp Sommarvik – Årjäng, Årjäng, Värmland
• Gustavsvik, Örebro, Narke,
• Hafsten Resort, Uddevalla, Vastra Gotaland / Bohuslän
• Kneipp Village Resort, Gotland
• Kronocamping in Lidköping, Västra Götaland / Västergötland
• Leksand Resort. Leksand. Dalarna
• Pite Havsbad, Piteå, Norrbotten
• Ursand Resort & Camping, Vanersborg, Vastra Gotaland / Dalsland
• Västervik Resort, Vastervik, Småland

Estonia strengthens its food scene – 7 new restaurants in the Michelin Guide

The Michelin Guide has presented its fifth edition of the Estonia Guide – and the country is now strengthening its position as one of the Nordic region’s most exciting food destinations. This year’s guide recommends a total of 43 restaurants, seven of which are new additions.

Special attention is paid to FUME, Fotografiska and Vesta, which were awarded the Bib Gourmand – Michelin's award for restaurants that combine high quality with affordable gastronomy. Meanwhile, 180° by Matthias Diether retains its two Michelin stars – remaining the only restaurant in the Baltics at that level.

4 out of 10 Swedes are stressed out because they don't have enough vacation days

A new survey from travel search site momondo shows that 40 percent of Swedes feel stressed about not having enough vacation days. Among families with children, a whopping 56 percent feel stressed about vacation days, compared to 37 percent among people without children.

For those who want to reduce stress and get more out of their vacation days, momondo highlights several concrete ways to plan your vacation smarter:

1. Build long-term leaves: Take occasional vacation days in connection with public holidays to extend your leave.
2. Divide the leave: Several shorter vacations provide more opportunities for recovery and more to look forward to.
3. Be flexible with dates and destination: Traveling midweek, or choosing less obvious destinations, can make it easier to find trips that fit your schedule and budget.
4. Be on time with your planning: Reviewing your leave early gives you greater control over both your schedule and budget.

Malaga in top form for the summer

Summer travel bookings have increased by 11 percent compared to last year and Spain continues to dominate Swedes' vacation plans, according to recent booking statistics from travel agency Ticket ahead of the summer.

Malaga is the most booked destination of the summer and climbs to first place on Ticket's top list of Swedes' favorite destinations. Lisbon is a newcomer to the list while Rhodes has lost its place on the top list. Bangkok also loses one position compared to last year, which indicates that more people are choosing destinations within Europe this summer. Ticket's top 10 - the most booked destinations in the summer of 2026:

1. Malaga
2. Alicante
3. Majorca
4. Split
5. Nice
6. London
7. Crete
8. Barcelona
9. Lisbon
10. Bangkok

Göta Canal strengthens the offer for families with children

With around four million visitors each year, Göta Canal is one of Sweden's largest tourist destinations. Now Göta Canal wants to attract even more families with children to discover the canal's family-friendly experiences.

Ahead of the summer, several family-friendly offers and packages are being launched along the canal. One of the new features is ”Grynet's family package”", where families with children have the opportunity to experience the canal together with the popular mascot Grynet. More activities along the canal that are suitable for families:

• child-friendly cycling routes along the Göta Canal Trail
• family cruises and lock experiences
• campsites and motorhomes near water and nature
• cafes, ice cream shops and restaurants
• playgrounds, swimming areas and summer events
• hotels and accommodations adapted for families

Summer travel trends

Hotels.com has released the summer edition of the trends report Unpack '26: The Trends in Travel. Mentions of domestic travel have increased by 77 percent globally, and a full 57 percent of Swedish travelers are planning a domestic trip this summer. Among domestic destinations, Östergötland has seen the largest increase in searches, followed by Jämtland, Stockholm and Dalarna.

Here are more travel tips in this year's summer edition of Unpack '26:

• Hotel hopping: Booking multiple hotels during the same trip.
• Event shopping: Trips to concerts or sporting events – combination of hotels at the arena and other hotel stays.
• Bleisure jumping: Leisure travel combined with business travel.
• Streaming tourism: Interest in Yorkshire (Wuthering Heights), Rhode Island, Devon and the Dolomites.
• Football trips vs. bargain hunting: Sports fans are booking last-minute trips to football host cities, while others are choosing other locations to take advantage of smaller crowds and lower prices.

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Parking spaces, music and summer forecast