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Swedes tightest tourists (Norway)
Aftenposten ^ | 2003 | Hans Ola H. Oustad

Posted on 04/16/2005 3:16:39 PM PDT by franksolich

Swedes tightest tourists

Foreign visitors come less often to Norway and spend less money than before. Japanese and US tourists are the most free with their money, and neighboring Swedes keep the tightest reins on their purse strings.

Norway's tourism industry is gearing up for the summer trade and rolling out their souvenir trolls, but despite years of discussion about how to brand and market the country's charms, nothing seems to be working.

"In fact, there have been fewer tourists. And they have not spent more money since 1995. Development is at a standstill," said Arne Rideng at the Institute of Transport Economy, who has recently completed a report on tourist spend in 2002 for the Norwegian Tourist Board.

The trend is clear: visitors from Japan and the USA spend most when holidaying in Norway, with Swiss, Austrian and Italian tourists also scoring high. Clear last are Norway's neighbors from Sweden.

The figures reflect spend per day, and the results can be slightly misleading - travelers from countries nearby could be living in trailers and on extended stays, which would raise their total and lower their daily average.

The differences are notable, however. The average Swede spends NOK 329 (USD 48) per day when holidaying in Norway, Italians 1,200 and Japanese 2,900.

Many in the tourist industry have a slightly different view, with Americans especially popular. Not only are they prepared to snap up a healthy armful of souvenirs, they are also the most generous, having a reputation as big tippers.

There is widespread sympathy for Swedish visitors, who not only have to cope with Norway's higher prices, but also have a relatively weak currency.

According to Rideng, the study has revealed some interesting and potentially valuable information.

"It is surprising that people from the Mediterranean countries use so much money here. For example, Italy should be a good market (for promoting Norway). Italians view a trip to Norway as a luxury, and for them our country represents something exclusive," Rideng said.

Tom Grusd, who has the well known souvenir boutique Norway Shop on main street Karl Johan, is optimistic about the coming summer.

"More cruises are coming to Oslo this summer than in previous seasons and it may be that the unrest in other parts of the world will have a positive effect on Norway and Scandinavia," Grusd said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Travel
KEYWORDS: bison; norway; sweden; tourism
You know, didn't, or don't, the Swedes have a reputation (earned or unearned) for their parsimony, their stinginess, just like we used to malign the Scots?
1 posted on 04/16/2005 3:16:39 PM PDT by franksolich
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To: 68 grunt; beckysueb; Born Conservative; Charles Henrickson; cinives; Constantine XIII; dennisw; ...
Ping for the Norway ping list.

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2 posted on 04/16/2005 3:18:34 PM PDT by franksolich (never loses any sleep over the DUmmies)
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To: franksolich

My dad is half Norweigen, half Danish. He HATES the Swedes, but never met one. To him, it's a matter of pride or something. I never understood it. It's not like he lives in Scandanavia.


3 posted on 04/16/2005 3:21:09 PM PDT by Pan_Yans Wife (" It is not true that life is one damn thing after another-it's one damn thing over and over." ESV)
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To: franksolich

Germans must be high on the list of stingy too. They bring everything with them in their mobile homes. They go Fishing in northern part of Norway. Its like the second wave of invasion.


4 posted on 04/16/2005 3:39:19 PM PDT by tomjohn77
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To: franksolich

Of course the Swedes are tight with their dough, they are taxed to death. No moola to spare.


5 posted on 04/16/2005 3:40:48 PM PDT by Finger Monkey (H.R. 25, Fair Tax Act - do the research, contact your legislators, get this puppy passed.)
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To: Pan_Yans Wife

Your father has to be quite a guy; the heroic Norwegian blood in him, along with the mellow, laid-back, warm, friendly, casual, informal blood of the Danes, a good combination.


6 posted on 04/16/2005 3:43:18 PM PDT by franksolich (never loses any sleep over the DUmmies)
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To: franksolich

I'm screwed being half swedish and half norwegian. Even though all scandinavian countries share a common bloodline it's still kinda funny how they think they're so different.


7 posted on 04/16/2005 3:55:14 PM PDT by miliantnutcase
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To: Pan_Yans Wife

Yup, it's funny with parents, grandparents, etc. here in the US getting upset about Scandinavian history, huh?

I think it's a hold-over from first immigration biases and folks passing it down.


8 posted on 04/16/2005 4:32:39 PM PDT by JLO
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To: miliantnutcase

Well, if one wishes to break a small "unit" down into even smaller "units," one discovers all sorts of differences.

For the record, I am not of Norwegian descent, whose culture is all Greek to me. I grew up in Nebraska, where Scandinavians are the predominant ethnic group, but it appears 99% of those are of Danish descent. I never even thought about Norway, never paid attention to Norway, never lost a minute of sleep over Norway, until January 28 of this year.

The closest contact I have ever had with Norway was when I was a raucous and uncouth youth, and visiting Scots fishermen on the Shetland Islands one winter. Some of us went out on a boat--this was in January--and at some point, one of the Scots, pointing with his arm, indicated, "Norway, 300 miles."

After which I forgot about Norway.

But what I have learned about Norway since late January of this year, shows significant differences among all those people and cultures in that area.

It appears Norwegians are more outward looking, more extroverted (I could be wrong, but I will admit I am making assumptions based upon what I have read, and absorbed), than the Swedes, who appear to be self-obsessed.

According to accounts of early immigrants to America, from Norway and Sweden, those from Sweden looked down upon those from Norway because of their "glumness," their "lack of humor," their "backwardness."

One can understand that in the sense that small societies tend to be insular when confronted with larger societies, and of course there have always been many more Swedes, than Norwegians. Such smaller societies tend to "pull back" within themselves, as a means of self-preservation.

But these of course are Norwegians and Swedes in America, not Norwegians in Norway and Swedes in Sweden--and "change of location" does alter people a great deal (compare the present-day civilization of Americans of German descent, for example, with the barbarians still over there).

But basically, generally, usually, overall, it seems to me that Norwegians (in Norway) are more outgoing, while Swedes (in Sweden) are more pulled within themselves.

This probably explains a great deal why the Norwegians tend towards "western alliances" (of the military, political, social, and commercial sorts)--there is not much in Norway, and they look out to the wider world--than do the laughably "neutral" Swedes.


9 posted on 04/16/2005 4:49:04 PM PDT by franksolich (never loses any sleep over the DUmmies)
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To: franksolich
But basically, generally, usually, overall, it seems to me that Norwegians (in Norway) are more outgoing, while Swedes (in Sweden) are more pulled within themselves.

I'm sure you've heard this joke, but I'll post it for the benefit of others:

Two Danes, two Norwegians, two Finns and two Swedes were shipwrecked on an island. By the time they were rescued, the Danes had formed a cooperative, the Norwegians built a fishing boat, and the Finns chopped down all the trees. The Swedes were still waiting to be introduced.
10 posted on 04/16/2005 5:55:34 PM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
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To: Welsh Rabbit

Ah. My point exactly.

"The Norwegians built a boat."

Looking out into the wider world, wondering what is there.

This is at least my own "picture" of the Norwegian temperament.


11 posted on 04/16/2005 5:58:51 PM PDT by franksolich (never loses any sleep over the DUmmies)
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