By: Editorial Office | Source: press material
This week's travel news includes new camping acquisitions in Skåne, Swedes' growing interest in mini-vacations and destinations where you don't have to crowd with other tourists. We also look at the trending destinations for the autumn holidays, compare prices on big city experiences and tell you about a different approach to accessible tourism in Belgium.
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First Camp buys four camping destinations in Skåne
The camping group First Camp continues to grow and acquires four destinations along the coast of Skåne: Falsterbo Resort, Lomma Camping, Trelleborg Strand and Trelleborg Ställplats. The facilities have different characteristics, from beachside holiday accommodation on Falsterbo Island to camping sites at the ferry terminal in Trelleborg. When the deal is completed, First Camp will operate a total of 97 destinations in Northern Europe.
The seller is Fritid Österlen Gruppen, which is run by Ola Ambuhm and his family. The group's fifth destination, Tobisvik in Simrishamn, is not included in the deal. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the autumn, provided that the relevant authorities give their approval. Until then, operations will continue as usual and existing bookings and seasonal agreements will apply.
Mini-vacations are becoming increasingly popular among Swedes
Traveling away doesn't have to mean a whole week's vacation. More and more Swedes seem to be attracted to short trips with just one or a few overnight stays. According to Airbnb, Swedes' searches for accommodations for 1–4 nights have increased by 11 percent compared to the same period last year. Paris, London and Gothenburg are the most popular cities, while Edinburgh, among others, Linköping and Sotenäs is among the destinations where searches have increased the most.
Hotels.com is also seeing a growing interest in short trips. Searches for a single overnight stay have increased by almost 10 percent, and in the company's trend report Unpack '27, 86 percent of Swedish travelers surveyed said they were planning such a stay in the coming year. Concerts, sporting events and the opportunity to enjoy hotel pools and spas are some of the reasons for booking a mini-vacation.
Almost every second Swede chooses away from destinations with too many tourists
Tourist crowds are increasingly affecting how Swedes plan their trips. In a survey by travel agency Ticket, 47 percent said they had at some point chosen a destination because of too many tourists. Just as many would consider paying more to travel to an alternative where it is less crowded.
Avoiding the tourist crowds doesn't have to mean choosing to avoid popular holiday destinations. Ticket recommends traveling outside of peak season, exploring smaller towns, or choosing beaches and attractions away from the most popular tourist areas. Sometimes a short excursion can be enough to get a completely different experience of a well-known destination.
New selfie spots make tourism more accessible in Belgium
Taking a selfie in front of a landmark is a given for many travelers, but it can be much more difficult for those who are blind. Now, the tourism organization Visit Flanders is launching the Selfie for All initiative, which aims to make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to take photos of themselves in front of famous landmarks. The first dedicated selfie spot has been inaugurated at the Grote Markt in the Belgian city Mechelen.
On the ground there is a plate with raised footprints that helps the visitor to position themselves in the right place to include the attraction in the background. Using the NaviLens app, it is possible to find the plate through audio instructions and vibrations. A total of 50 such selfie spots are planned around Flanders, including in Ghent, Leuven and Ostend.
Tirana and Hong Kong trending ahead of the fall holidays
Tirana in Albania tops the list of destinations where Swedes' flight searches have increased the most ahead of the autumn holidays. According to travel search site momondo, searches for the Albanian capital have increased by 88 percent compared to last year's autumn holidays. Hong Kong follows with an increase of 86 percent and Seoul in South Korea with 61 percent. Also Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Edinburgh in Scotland are high on the list.
For those looking for a budget-friendly city break, Tirana, Prague and Krakow may be interesting options. According to momondo's compilation, the average prices for round-trip flights to these destinations are under 2,500 kronor. The statistics are based on flight searches ahead of the autumn holidays and show which destinations have increased in interest the most, not which have the most bookings.
Here the family gets the most big city experiences for the money
There can be a big difference in price between different big cities, even when the family does roughly the same things. According to the FOREX Experience Index, New York is the most expensive of the compared destinations. There, a day of selected experiences for a family with two children costs 73 percent more than in Stockholm. London is the second most expensive, while Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the cheapest with a price level that is 63 percent below Stockholm's.
Also Marrakech and Tokyo stand out as relatively affordable options, with costs 55 and 47 percent below Stockholm, respectively. The index compares, among other things, museum visits, an attraction, a simple lunch, souvenirs and local transport for two adults and two children. However, flights and hotels are not included, which of course have a major impact on the total holiday budget.
Gothic castles and mysterious hotels are becoming a new travel trend
Dark colors, candlelight, historic castles and a sense of mystery. These are some of the ingredients in a growing hotel trend that Hotels.com calls gothic getaways. According to the company's 2027 trend report, 66 percent of Swedish travelers surveyed are interested in booking accommodation with a Gothic atmosphere. At the same time, searches for castle accommodation have increased by 20 percent globally.
The trend is linked to a growing interest in dark fantasy, folk beliefs and historical settings. Among the hotels highlighted by Hotels.com are Château Frontenac in Quebec, Canada, a castle hotel in Otočec, Slovenia and Hôtel de la Cité in the medieval city of Carcassonne in France. The Grand Hôtel in Stockholm is also on the list of hotels with particularly atmospheric environments.
Reflection of the week
Ticket's survey talks about tourist congestion... We are inspired by images and stories of amazing places, but once we get there it can be full of people attracted by the exact same thing.
The interesting thing is the paradox: We want to discover the world, but preferably without everyone else who also wants to discover it. We would like to see the world's most amazing places, but would prefer to have them a little to ourselves. Maybe sometimes we have to dare to choose a different route, a different season or a place that is not on everyone's wish list.
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