Norwegians have got cold travel legs: – unusually many cheap remaining destinations

– We were in Denmark last year, and then it was very expensive, says Marie Mangelrod (27).

– Now it’s even worse with the exchange rate, so we’re glad we didn’t go there this year, says Sigurd (30). They are on a day trip from Larvik to Oslo with their children Mathia (4), Gajetil (2) and Sander (2 months).

As the summer weather at home has been excellent in recent weeks, they have not shown much interest in vacationing abroad this year either.

– Unusual

The Manglerod family is not alone in canceling their vacation abroad and adjusting their vacation budget.

A YouGov survey for European travel insurance found that 44 percent said the economy influenced their choice of travel destination. As a result, 30 percent are opting for a cheaper trip this year, while 14 percent are forgoing the entire holiday trip.

During the winter and spring, tour operators and charter companies reported record sales and willingness to travel that chased away their own financial concerns. Now new interest rate hikes, a weaker krone and increased living costs are starting to have an impact. This is shown, among other things, in the number of remaining properties for sale on Finn.no.

– Yes, there are many places out there now. Charter companies in particular are doing their best to fill flights, says Terje Berge, director of Finn Reyes.

He quotes prices for return flights to Mallorca and Crete from NOK 5-700.

– Low prices are common when schools start, but now we are seeing very low prices in June and July as well. Berge says there are an unusually high number of cheap places during the school holidays.

– So are interest rate hikes starting to bite now?

– Yes, it could be because interest rates are always rising to new highs and people aren’t too concerned. We see the same trends in other areas such as ocean cabins and yachts. “We’re seeing a clear shift from euro countries, particularly to Turkey, where costs are much lower,” he says.

On that day Finn.no And Restplass.No Return air tickets from Gardermon and other airports to Rhodes, Samos, Split, Mallorca, Antalya, Santorini, Crete, etc. are available from one thousand Swedish kroner. Other accommodation prices start at NOK 3–4,000 per person, including unspecified accommodation for a week’s stay.

– Cold traveling feet

European travel insurance caters to the large number of people who regret and want to cancel their holidays abroad.

– We clearly feel that now there are some cold travel feet, says Andreas Handeland, director of communications of the insurance company, owner of Europeiske Reiseforsikring.

– The number of customers contacting us to inquire about refunds for trips already purchased increased significantly throughout the winter and spring due to higher electricity prices, interest rate increases and general cost increases. . Every time Norges Bank raises interest rates, as it did last week, there is an increase in the number of calls, he says.

According to Handland, this is likely to be people who bought airline tickets last winter, and now because of the weak krone and rising prices, booking accommodation will be more expensive. Some may have even bought concert tickets, and they can’t book a flight, he says.

– Now there are a lot of such inquiries. If so, no refund due to receiving bad advice. I think most customers understand that.

Indicates the weather

Mari-Anne Zachrisson, director of Ving, a charter company in Norway, believes the hot weather since mid-May was the main reason for the halt in sales.

– That’s how it is in our industry. Bad weather is good selling weather — and vice versa, he says.

– This year is unusual in that there are very few places available in April and May. This has never been the case in the past. Hence industrial production volumes are very high during school holidays. It’s more common to have more seats later, but what’s unusual now is that it went from almost nothing in June to many remaining seats, and then at a very low price, especially for flights, he says.

– So it’s the weather, not the interest rate?

– However, we notice an increase in the number of inquiries now that the long-term forecast is for some rain in southern Norway as well.

The renovation was shelved

At the ferry dock in Oslo, the Bakke-Brandanger/Flatabø family with five children prepares for a ferry trip to Copenhagen, arriving in the capital on the night train from Bergen and then taking the train to France.

– We try to live as cheaply as possible along the way. We borrow a holiday flat and we take the train. So we try to make good choices on the way down. Yes, live cheaply, buy food at Too Good to Go and more, says Mary Platabo (44).