Tampere is only the latest Finnish city to market itself as eco-friendly, and there's definitely something to it. But a report published by the City of Helsinki found the Finnish tourism sector's emissions are 80% higher than the EU average.
Online travel agencies report spikes in bookings for activities in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Some places see a near doubling over last year. Are travelers seeking cooler climes as extreme heat increasingly plagues southern Europe?
For now, SAS is focused on getting out of bankruptcy in clean financial shape, and hopes to be part of whatever larger European airline landscape emerges in coming years.
Billionaire Petter Stordalen's new hotel in Oslo, Sommerro, and his soon-to-open sister property, Villa Inkognito, are noteworthy. They take the experiential travel trend in new directions.
With its budget airline Eurowings expanding into Sweden, the Lufthansa Group is getting a toehold in Scandinavia. With both SAS and Norwegian Air downsizing, Lufthansa and other European airlines think the region is ripe with opportunity.