After a record year for tourism in 2025, Norway is now focusing on attracting the 'right' kind of guests rather than simply increasing visitor numbers.
Statistics Norway (SSB) reports that there were 40.6 million commercial overnight stays last year, up 5 percent from 2024. This growth was mostly due to a 14 percent rise in foreign visitors, many of whom come for Norway’s natural beauty and adventure holidays.
Winter tourism is growing fast, especially for northern lights trips and skiing.
To handle this boom, Innovation Norway is focusing on its Strategic Action Plan for Tourism alongside a new marketing strategy.
"We don't just want more traffic, but the right traffic," explains Aase Marthe J. Horrigmo, Director of Tourism at Innovation Norway. "It's about attracting guests who stay for a long time, come at the right time, take the climate and environment into account, and who contribute to local value creation."
This initiative comes as tourism sustainability faces close public attention. Recently, headlines have focused on foreign tourists struggling to drive in Northern Norway’s winter, debates about wild camping, and local municipalities planning new tourist taxes to cope with the crowds.
Horrigmo warns that tourism growth is not evenly distributed, with many regions still having room for more visitors outside the busy season.
“We must work to make all of Norway more attractive, all year round,” she says. “By being more successful with seasonal adjustment, more tourism businesses can stay open for larger parts of the year, create year-round jobs and strengthen local value creation.”
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The data shows how complex this challenge is. "We have never recorded more foreign overnight stays than in 2025," says Kristin Aasestad, senior advisor at Statistics Norway. She credits good exchange rates and marketing for this growth.
While Norwegians still accounted for 26.4 million stays, the number of international visitors is increasing. Three out of four foreign stays came from Europe, but Asian tourists are also back in full force, with 1.2 million overnight stays in 2025 (a 30 percent increase from last year).
Even though local authorities complain about overcrowding, Innovation Norway’s Travel Barometer Spring 2025 shows a different view of European demand. The report says 39 percent of Europeans are thinking about visiting Norway in the next three years, but only 5 percent plan to come in 2026.
To close this gap and attract the right guests, the tourism board is focusing on more than just the famous fjords. The new strategy highlights combining nature with cultural experiences such as arts, heritage, and local cuisine, which are easier to promote outside the high season.
This matches the latest Travel Barometer, which shows more European travellers now see Norway for its lively cities and history, as well as its natural beauty.
READ ALSO: Fjord trips to get more expensive as Norway set to introduce new cruise tax
Innovation Norway says its mission is to ensure tourism creates local value, year-round jobs, strong communities, and a smaller climate footprint. Their action plan’s vision is "strong impressions with small footprints".
The ambition is for Norway to be one of the world's most sustainable travel destinations by 2030. "For growth to be sustainable, we must help to spread growth and value creation more widely – both geographically and through seasonal extension," Horrigmo says.
The organisation also plans to help the industry use artificial intelligence responsibly to improve productivity and marketing.
Overall, Norway is well-positioned for tourism. Even though 8 out of 10 European travellers face economic uncertainty, Norway remains attractive thanks to a favourable exchange rate, its reputation for safety, and the perception that it is not yet overcrowded.
Want to experience Norway for yourself? Check out some articles that may help you find cultural highlights in the off-season.
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Ten Norway tourist favourites that are cheaper because of the low krone
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