Norway tourism boom in 2025 pushed international arrivals to historic levels, with 7.196 million international tourists and a total of 20.356 million visitors.
Summary: Norway tourism boom in 2025 saw record international arrivals of 7.196 million (a 75% rise from 2019), helping drive total visitors to 20.356 million and a 14% increase in international overnight stays.
Norway tourism boom in 2025 pushed international arrivals to unprecedented levels: the country welcomed 7.196 million international tourists, a 75% increase compared with 2019, marking the first time Norway surpassed 7 million international visitors.
Record-breaking visitor totals
Overall visitor numbers in 2025 reached 20.356 million, up 1% from 2024. While international travel surged, domestic travel dipped by 2%. Compared with 2019, total visitor counts rose by 33%, underscoring a strong rebound for Norway's travel sector.
International overnight stays climb
A notable driver of the recovery was a 14% rise in international overnight stays, which totalled 14.165 million in 2025. Domestic overnight stays grew modestly by 1% to 26.424 million, making international visits account for 35% of all overnight stays.
Top source markets for Norway
Several countries provided the bulk of international demand, with Germany and the United States leading the list and other European markets also contributing significant volumes.
- Germany: 2.56 million overnight stays (18% of total)
- United States: 1.635 million overnight stays (12% of total)
- Sweden: 1.309 million overnight stays
- Netherlands: 0.985 million overnight stays
- United Kingdom: 0.977 million overnight stays
- Denmark: 0.896 million overnight stays
Regions drawing the most visitors
Oslo remained the country's dominant destination, accounting for 30% of overnight stays — about 6.93 million. Bergen was the second-most visited area with roughly 3.31 million overnight stays. Romerike and Stavanger each recorded approximately 1.88 million stays.
What Norway's growth means for global tourism
Norway's performance in 2025 illustrates how targeted investment in infrastructure and marketing can accelerate recovery. The surge offers a template for other destinations seeking to rebuild international demand after the pandemic era.
As international tourists stay longer and represent a larger share of total nights, pressure on airlines, hotels and local services is likely to increase — creating both challenges and opportunities for capacity planning and product development.
Opportunities for operators and destinations
Tour operators, accommodation providers and transport services can capitalise on the shift by tailoring offers to key source markets and investing in experiences that appeal to longer-stay international visitors.
For destinations looking to emulate Norway’s success, diversifying attractions and strengthening international marketing to high-demand markets will be crucial.
Why this matters: Travelers can expect more route and service options to meet rising demand, while the travel industry should prepare for increased investment and competition. So what? Norway’s rebound signals that well‑planned destination strategies can restore and even surpass pre‑pandemic tourism levels, offering a playbook for global recovery.
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