As of 2019, Norway ranks 22nd in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. Tourism in Norway contributed 4.2% of the gross domestic product as reported in 2018. Every seven in a hundred people throughout the country work in the tourism industry. Tourism is seasonal in Norway, with more than half of total tourists visiting between the months of May and August.

Attractions The main attractions of Norway are the varied landscapes that extend across the Arctic Circle. It is famous for its fjord-indented coastline and its mountains, ski resorts, lakes and woods. Popular tourist destinations in Norway include Oslo, Ålesund, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Kristiansand, Nordfjordeid, Arendal, Tromsø, Geiranger, Flåm, Fredrikstad and Tønsberg. Much of the nature of Norway remains unspoiled, and thus attracts numerous hikers and skiers. Pulpit Rock and Trolltunga are among the most popular selfie locations in the mountains.

The fjords, mountains and waterfalls in Western and Northern Norway attract several hundred thousand foreign tourists each year. In the cities, sights such as the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo and in Tønsberg attract many visitors, as do the Hanseatic Bryggen area in Bergen, the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, The Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Fredrikstad Fortress (Gamlebyen) in Fredrikstad, the ruin park of Tønsberg Fortress in Tønsberg and numerous others.

The culture of Norway evolved as a result of its sparse population, harsh climate, and relative isolation from the rest of Europe. It is therefore distinct from other countries in Europe in that it has fewer opulent palaces and castles, smaller agricultural areas, and longer travel distances. Regionally distinct architecture, crafts, and art are presented in the various folk museums, typically based on an ethnological perspective. Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdøy in Oslo is the largest of these.

Weather Norway is often associated with weather similar to Alaska or Siberia, primarily because the country shares the same latitude as them. In reality, while it is often cold in Norway, the weather is often milder than might be expected, due to the Gulf Stream and warm air currents. Away from the coast, winters are colder, with more snow, and summers are mild with little to no humidity.

Transport The Norwegian highway system covers more than 90,000 kilometres, of which about 67,000 are paved. The highway system includes ferry transit across waterways, numerous bridges and tunnels, and several mountain passes. Some of these mountain passes are closed during the winter months, and some may close during winter storms. With the opening of the Oresund Bridge and the Great Belt Fixed Link, Norway is connected to the European continent by a continuous highway connection through Sweden and Denmark.

The 4,058 kilometres long rail network connects most of the major cities south of Bodø. The Norwegian rail network is also connected to the Swedish network. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the most important airport in Norway, with 24 million passengers in 2014. Most cities and towns have nearby airports, and some of the largest also have international flights. The cruise ferry Hurtigruten connects the cities on the coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. In the summer, the coastal cities are visited by numerous foreign cruise ships, Bergen being the main cruise port.

Statistics

+Tourist arrivals of 2024 in %

In 2015, 8,828,771 foreign tourists visited Norway, an 8.3% increase over the previous year's figure of 8,154,436.

The top ten countries of origin of tourists visiting Norway were:Nøkkeltall for norsk turisme 2015 Rank Country 2014 20151 1,388,978 1,459,9082 1,040,168 1,097,2313 741,241 749,5174 614,876 704,5085 539,733 567,3436 397,801 425,2957 301,889 326,8668 176,767 287,1539 200,441 253,59010 191,390 196,785 Total international visitors 8,154,436 8,828,771

Most visited tourist attractions

Innovation Norway, a state-owned promotion company which is also in charge of tourism affairs, publishes annual reports on the country's most visited tourist attractions, both cultural and natural. The 2007 report lists 50 cultural and 20 natural attractions.

+Cultural attractions Rank Attraction Type Location Visitors, 2007 1 Fløibanen Railway Bergen 1,131,707 2 Holmenkollbakken and Ski Museum Ski jumping hill Oslo 686,857 3 Bryggen Heritage wharf Bergen 583,510 4 Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park Amusement park Kristiansand 532,044 5 Tusenfryd Amusement park Ås 501,235 6 Flåm Line Railway Flåm 457,545 7 Hadeland Glassverk Glass works Jevnaker 431,400 8 Fredrikstad Fortress, Old Town of Fredrikstad Heritage fortress and town Fredrikstad 372,360 9 Viking Ship Museum Museum Oslo 314,560 10 Hunderfossen Familiepark Amusement park Øyer Municipality - Lillehammer Municipality 270,500

+Natural attractions Rank Attraction Type Location Visitors, 2006 1 Vøringsfossen Waterfall Eidfjord 655,000 2 Trollstigen Road Åndalsnes 563,331 3 Kjosfossen Waterfall Flåm 457,400 4 Geirangerfjorden Fjord Geiranger 423,643 5 Låtefossen Waterfall Odda, Hardanger 420,000 6 Steinsdalsfossen Waterfall Norheimsund, Hardanger 300,000 7 Nærøyfjorden Fjord Aurland 297,038 8 Briksdalsbreen Glacier Olden, Stryn 280,000 9 Sognefjellsvegen Road Lom and Luster 253,953 10 Atlantic Ocean Road Road +Cruise ports in NorwayRankPortVisitors, 2025Calls, 20251Bergen683,7183462Stavanger638,7512443Ålesund594,5102814Kristiansand426,3551635Geiranger408,6651496Oslo401,6691737Haugesund401,3771308Flåm345,5101149Olden295,91111610Nordfjordeid228,74780

Tourism exhibitions In January 2009, the National Building Museum presented the exhibition Detour: Architecture and Design along 18 National Tourist Routes in Norway. The exhibition, which was created in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy, was available for view until May 2009.

See also National Tourist Routes in Norway World Heritage Sites in Norway Norwegian Mountain Touring Association List of botanical gardens in Norway List of castles in Norway List of cathedrals in Norway List of forts in Norway List of museums in Norway List of national parks of Norway List of Norwegian fjords Scandinavian Mountains Airport Tourism in Denmark Tourism in Finland Tourism in Sweden Tourism in Iceland

References

External links

VisitNorway.com The Official Tourist Board for Northern Norway