How will Norway be affected by climate change-driven tourism?
Heatwaves and increased temperatures across Europe have tourists eyeing northern countries like Norway as future destinations. But how will climate change affect tourism in the Nordic country?
Tourism in Norway has boomed this summer due to the weak krone, making it cheaper for visitors from other countries to visit and for Norwegians to stay home rather than travel abroad.
Norwegians who travel to Europe in the summer typically choose to go to Syden (the south), a term referring to the countries in the south of Europe.
But, in popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece, extreme heatwaves caused by climate change have seen temperatures reach a record higher of 45C.
As a result, tourists trying to escape the sweltering heat in southern Europe may turn their attention to cooler summer destinations such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.
Senior lecturer in Tourism Management and Experience Development at Kristiania University College, Kjersti Ruud Walaas, recently told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 that Norway could expect an increase in tourism due to climate change.
"Due to climate change, travel habits will change dramatically for tourists. It is so frightening, and we see that the travel companies cannot handle the demanding situation," she said.
"We are a young tourist nation and have not taken a proper position on this before. Now, we must be prepared for a bigger wave of tourists," Walaas added.
The positives
In Norway, the average summer temperature ranges between 13C and 18C. However, temperatures can easily reach between 25C and 30C. Water temperatures also make it warm enough to swim in the country's fjords, lakes, rivers and seas.
For many, this means warm summer weather without the risk of the mercury rising to dangerous levels.
Norway's vast wealth of natural scenery, stunning fjords, picturesque mountains and bucket list hikes mean there is plenty to see and do aside from visiting its charming major cities and small towns.
Many of Norway's best sights are located in smaller municipalities, meaning small local economies benefit greatly from more tourism.
The drawbacks of more tourism in Norway
However, higher levels of tourism can also pose problems for Norway. Some of Norway's more popular destinations being based in small municipalities is a double-edged sword.
While it means more money in the pot, authorities also spend more money on maintaining tourist hot spots than local services.
Several areas in Norway have struggled with over-tourism and capacity issues in recent years. This summer, Lofoten has struggled with large numbers of foreign tourists on road trips and in campervans. As a result, it has had to change its parking rules and begin dishing out more fines due to safety concerns.
Cruise ships and coach tours have also caused issues for locals in Ålesund on Norway's west coast. The influx of tourists there has led locals to call for a clamp-down on the number of tour buses and coaches working in the area and the mountains surrounding the city.
Meanwhile, some of Norway's most famous mountains have been at risk of over-tourism for years, while popular cruise ship destinations such as Geiranger and Longyearbyen have struggled with capacity issues.
As a result, several areas have said they are willing to adopt a tourist tax.
READ MORE: Are Norway's top attractions at risk of over-tourism?
Climate change will still hit Norway
While tourists may be able to escape sweltering temperatures in southern Europe by holidaying elsewhere, they will not be able to evade climate change.
Like the rest of the world, Norway is feeling the effects of climate change and will do so in the future. More extreme weather will affect Norway.
"The biggest climate change in Norway is more extreme weather events," Bjorn Samset, a senior researcher at the Cicero Center for Climate Research, told the Norwegian newspaper VG.
The impact of climate change means that Norway will become both hotter and wetter.
Figures from the Meteorological Institute and reported by VG show that Norway has become 1.9C warmerfra since the 1960s, with the country also seeing an average of 145mm more rain than compared to the 1960s.
"We will have summers that are so hot and dry that we have not seen the like," he said.
The warm, dry weather will mainly affect southeast Norway and the areas surrounding Oslo. This means more droughts, which increases the risk of forest fires.
Western Norway will see the majority of the extra rain. Norway is becoming wetter, and more extreme weather means more torrential rain when precipitation is forecast. This means increased risk of flooding and landslides, which can cut off transport to popular tourist destinations and make hikes and mountains more dangerous and inaccessible.
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Tourism in Norway has boomed this summer due to the weak krone, making it cheaper for visitors from other countries to visit and for Norwegians to stay home rather than travel abroad.
Norwegians who travel to Europe in the summer typically choose to go to Syden (the south), a term referring to the countries in the south of Europe.
But, in popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece, extreme heatwaves caused by climate change have seen temperatures reach a record higher of 45C.
As a result, tourists trying to escape the sweltering heat in southern Europe may turn their attention to cooler summer destinations such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.
Senior lecturer in Tourism Management and Experience Development at Kristiania University College, Kjersti Ruud Walaas, recently told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 that Norway could expect an increase in tourism due to climate change.
"Due to climate change, travel habits will change dramatically for tourists. It is so frightening, and we see that the travel companies cannot handle the demanding situation," she said.
"We are a young tourist nation and have not taken a proper position on this before. Now, we must be prepared for a bigger wave of tourists," Walaas added.
The positives
In Norway, the average summer temperature ranges between 13C and 18C. However, temperatures can easily reach between 25C and 30C. Water temperatures also make it warm enough to swim in the country's fjords, lakes, rivers and seas.
For many, this means warm summer weather without the risk of the mercury rising to dangerous levels.
Norway's vast wealth of natural scenery, stunning fjords, picturesque mountains and bucket list hikes mean there is plenty to see and do aside from visiting its charming major cities and small towns.
Many of Norway's best sights are located in smaller municipalities, meaning small local economies benefit greatly from more tourism.
The drawbacks of more tourism in Norway
However, higher levels of tourism can also pose problems for Norway. Some of Norway's more popular destinations being based in small municipalities is a double-edged sword.
While it means more money in the pot, authorities also spend more money on maintaining tourist hot spots than local services.
Several areas in Norway have struggled with over-tourism and capacity issues in recent years. This summer, Lofoten has struggled with large numbers of foreign tourists on road trips and in campervans. As a result, it has had to change its parking rules and begin dishing out more fines due to safety concerns.
Cruise ships and coach tours have also caused issues for locals in Ålesund on Norway's west coast. The influx of tourists there has led locals to call for a clamp-down on the number of tour buses and coaches working in the area and the mountains surrounding the city.
Meanwhile, some of Norway's most famous mountains have been at risk of over-tourism for years, while popular cruise ship destinations such as Geiranger and Longyearbyen have struggled with capacity issues.
As a result, several areas have said they are willing to adopt a tourist tax.
READ MORE: Are Norway's top attractions at risk of over-tourism?
Climate change will still hit Norway
While tourists may be able to escape sweltering temperatures in southern Europe by holidaying elsewhere, they will not be able to evade climate change.
Like the rest of the world, Norway is feeling the effects of climate change and will do so in the future. More extreme weather will affect Norway.
"The biggest climate change in Norway is more extreme weather events," Bjorn Samset, a senior researcher at the Cicero Center for Climate Research, told the Norwegian newspaper VG.
The impact of climate change means that Norway will become both hotter and wetter.
Figures from the Meteorological Institute and reported by VG show that Norway has become 1.9C warmerfra since the 1960s, with the country also seeing an average of 145mm more rain than compared to the 1960s.
"We will have summers that are so hot and dry that we have not seen the like," he said.
The warm, dry weather will mainly affect southeast Norway and the areas surrounding Oslo. This means more droughts, which increases the risk of forest fires.
Western Norway will see the majority of the extra rain. Norway is becoming wetter, and more extreme weather means more torrential rain when precipitation is forecast. This means increased risk of flooding and landslides, which can cut off transport to popular tourist destinations and make hikes and mountains more dangerous and inaccessible.
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