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New Year's resolutions, holiday worries and northern lights

Today we talk about Swedes' New Year's resolutions for the coming year, their biggest holiday worries and Norway's focus on aurora tourism. Among other things. We usually run travel news on Mondays, but since we have zero control over the days of the week right now, it happens to be a Tuesday this week. Time for the last FREEDOMtravel News of the year!

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More alcohol on holiday

More than 8 out of 10 Swedes change their lifestyle when they go on holiday abroad, according to a Sifo survey by Ticket. The most common change is to drink more alcohol. However, not all changes are for the worse. 30 per cent eat less healthy food while 6 per cent eat more healthy food. 19 per cent exercise less, while 23 per cent exercise more. Top 5 changes:

  1. Drink more alcohol (50 %)
  2. Reading more (40 %)
  3. Sleeping more (31 %)
  4. Eat less healthy food (30 %)
  5. Exercise more (23 %)
Mountainbike i Zermatt
Often we don't exercise at all on holiday, but sometimes you can get in some cool exercise, like when we went mountain biking in Switzerland in 2017.

Swedish men have the most expensive skiing injuries

When Swedes go on a skiing holiday, men's skiing injuries will be both more numerous and more expensive for insurance companies than women's injuries. In fact, Swedish men have the most expensive skiing injuries in the entire Nordic region. This is according to a new survey from the assistance organisation SOS International. Some of the higher costs for Swedish men are related to the fact that they often ski far away, such as in the USA, Canada or Japan.

Skidskador

Swedes' New Year's resolution: more travelling

Two out of three Swedes have already made their New Year's resolutions, according to online travel agency eBeach.se. Most promise to travel more, but many also say they will stress less and exercise more often. Here is the Swedes' top list of New Year's resolutions:

  1. Travel more (31 %)
  2. Stress less (24 %)
  3. Exercise more (23 %)
  4. Save more money (17 %)
  5. Lose weight (17 %)
Saker att göra i Marseille
We don't usually make promises, but if we're going to travel more than 2017, we'll have to travel to at least 14 countries in 2018. Pictured here is Marseille, September 2017.

Swedes' holiday worries

Booking a holiday creates excitement and expectations, but it can also cause travel fever and anxiety. According to a survey by Finnair, the most common concerns are lost luggage and possible delays. Here is a top list of Swedes' biggest worries when travelling:

  1. Lost luggage (28 %)
  2. Travel delays (25 %)
  3. Baggage restrictions (20 %)
  4. Unable to book favourite accommodation at the right price (17 %)
  5. Secure payment solutions when booking online (17 %)
Our suitcases did not come home from Nairobi in 2012, but we received them three days later.

Northern Norway focuses on the Northern Lights

Between late September and late March, the northern lights are a natural part of life in northern Norway. This is why Norway has invested heavily in aurora experiences in recent years. There are many ways to experience the northern lights, and here are a few variations:

  • From the deck of the Hurtigruten - between October 2017 and March 2018, you get an aurora guarantee.
  • Above the clouds - The airline Widerøe offers northern lights tours departing from Tromsø.
  • From luxury cabin in Narvik - you are taken to Narvikfjället in the Gondola and can see the Northern Lights from three outdoor platforms.
  • Via dog sledding expedition - The Tromsø Wilderness Centre organises two-day dog sledding expeditions.
  • From an igloo - The Sorrisniva hotel outside Alta is made entirely of ice and snow, and if the northern lights appear, guided tours are organised.
Norrsken
We've never seen the Northern Lights, have you? photo: Pixabay

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Most Googled in 2017 - and this is where Santa finds Swedes

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