Strong June for the visitor economy in Norrbotten – guest nights up 10%

The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth’s accommodation statistics show that the number of guest nights in Norrbotten increased by 10% in June 2026 compared with the previous year. Nationwide, the increase was 3%. This is the highest June figure since measurements began. Norrbotten also had the second-strongest percentage growth of all Sweden’s counties.

The result represents a clear recovery from June 2025, when the number of guest nights fell by 2% compared with the year before. Among the larger groups of international visitors, guest nights from both Finland and Germany declined at that time. This year’s first summer figure was therefore of particular interest.

– After last year’s decline in June, we were of course curious about this year’s result – was it the start of a trend of weaker Junes, or just a temporary dip? Now we see a clear recovery and the highest June level ever. The fact that both Swedish and international guest nights are contributing to the increase is a strong sign, but we also want to wait for July and August before we sum up the whole summer, says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of Arctic Sweden Visitors Board.

Guest nights in June by year

Guest nights from visitors from Sweden increased by 5%, while guest nights from other countries rose by 18%.

There can also be major differences between different accommodation providers and different places. STF previously reported a sharp drop linked to halved night-train services, while Pite Havsbad and Icehotel have released figures showing record occupancy.

Northern Norway, which consists of Norway’s three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, as well as the Svalbard archipelago, had twice as many guest nights as Norrbotten in June and increased by 1%.

New June record for Sweden as well

Sweden as a whole also saw an increase in the number of guest nights. With close to 7.6 million registered guest nights, June 2026 set a new Swedish June record, something Visit Sweden highlights.

– It is incredibly encouraging that tourism in Sweden continues to grow during June, both in cities and in rural areas, with all the fantastic Swedish experiences, says Visit Sweden’s CEO Susanne Andersson in a press release.

Visit Sweden points to several possible explanations for the national trend: continued growth in global travel, a favourable Swedish krona exchange rate, an attractive range of experiences, and strong demand for nature and outdoor activities. Long-term marketing of Sweden is also highlighted as a contributing factor.

Strong growth from several countries

Among guests from other countries, Norwegian visitors accounted for the most guest nights in Norrbotten in June, followed by visitors from Germany, the UK, Finland and the US. Guest nights from the UK grew particularly strongly, by nearly 476% compared with June 2025. At the same time, the number of guest nights from Finland turned upward compared with last year, while guest nights from Germany continued to decline.

Largest international markets

Arctic Sweden Visitors Board works continuously to market the entire county and develop the offering of visitor economy businesses. The efforts include, among other things, digital campaigns, outreach to press and tour operators, and market collaborations with companies, local destinations, and national and international partners.

– Visibility and demand are built over time. We work long-term and strategically in several markets, with activities that run continuously throughout the year. The outcome of a single month cannot be attributed to a specific campaign or actor, but the strong growth shows that interest in Arctic Sweden is high, says Annika Fredriksson.

The increase is seen in both camping and hotels. International camping guest nights rose particularly strongly, while total accommodation revenue increased by nearly 18% to just over SEK 155 million.

Among the county’s municipalities, Luleå had by far the strongest percentage growth, followed by Pajala and Övertorneå.

More even distribution across the year

A long-term goal is to create demand over a larger part of the year. The statistics also show that guest nights have become more evenly distributed between the seasons. Summer accounted for 47% of the year’s guest nights in 2008, compared with 42% in 2025. Over the same period, winter’s share increased from 16% to 22%.

2008

2025

The change does not mean that summer has declined in absolute numbers, but that other parts of the year have grown and taken a larger share of the total.

– A more even distribution across the year creates better conditions for businesses to develop sustainable operations, offer more year-round employment, and use their capacity over a larger part of the year. It also helps spread visitor pressure and can reduce the risk of certain places and periods becoming overburdened, says Annika Fredriksson.

The official accommodation statistics cover commercial accommodation providers. Arctic Sweden Visitors Board also tracks data on “short-term rentals”, i.e. private short-term letting via digital platforms such as Airbnb. The trend was also positive within short-term rentals. The number of guest nights in June increased by 29% compared with the year before.

The June figures provide a positive first indication, but the full summer season can only be summed up once the statistics for July and August are available. The August figures will be published in October.