Nordic countries represent the third largest outbound travel market in Europe and spend more money than the average European tourist on food, accommodation and attractions while on holiday. The level of income is high and a record high share of income is spent on travelling. The high spending power facilitates frequent travel and almost nowhere in the world do people travel abroad as often as the Nordic tourists. On average, around 60 per cent of the people in the region take at least one holiday each year and the numbers are increasing. Over 34 million trips abroad, with at least one overnight stay or more, are undertaken by Nordic travellers every year and spending reach above $20 billion, surpassing spending in Germany and England.
Moreover, there is a widespread tendency among Nordic travellers to have a greater focus on luxury than before. The travellers are becoming more and more experienced travellers and they search for exclusive, authentic and personalised experiences. As a result, the package holidays are being replaced by customised, individualised trips. The new travel experts, commonly described as travel designers have since years emerged on the market and know their Nordic customers’ preferences, travel patterns, preferred accommodation and what they wish to experience.