Hawaii-hotell, charter till Tunisien och rekordår för Kroatien

Monday again and a new week! Here at FREEDOMtravel we start the week as usual with travel news, focusing on travel, camping and tourism. We have botanised among this week's press releases... Enjoy!

Table of contents

Polar releases 2 new floor plans

Polar turns 60 and starts a very exciting year by presenting completely new floor plans in its popular Blue and Blackline wagons: 650 BQDA in blueline and 590 FWL Blackline. But that's not all, says the company. According to them, a new amazing opportunity is coming soon. "Keep an eye out!" they write in the press release.

First Camp acquires 5-star Kronocamping Lidköping

First Camp continues its growth journey and now acquires Kronocamping Lidköping. The campsite is multi-awarded and one of Sweden's few five-star campsites. The campsite has 500 pitches, a spa, restaurant and adventure golf, and is attractively located on the shores of Lake Vänern, within walking distance of the centre of Lidköping. After the acquisition, First Camp has 71 destinations, of which 52 are in Sweden.

More and more passengers are travelling on Finnlines ships

The number of private passengers on Finnlines' vessels increased by over 17 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022. The company also took its passenger services to a whole new level when the first of two Superstar-class freight and passenger vessels, Finnsirius, started operating on the route. Naantali – Åland -The sister ship Finncanopus was delivered to Finnlines in December and is now on its way to Europe. Details of Finncanopus' maiden voyage will be announced as soon as the ship is in Europe.

Europe's largest waterpark expands with Hawaii hotel

In spring 2024, the German water park Tropical Islands will undertake a significant expansion of its famous dome, which currently houses Europe's largest indoor water park. The expansion includes a new 2,300 square metre hotel complex with 150 hotel rooms, a restaurant and a wide range of activities. OHANA Town and OHANA Lodges will offer many activities and are expected to open in April 2024. In addition to hotel rooms and suites, Tropical Islands also offers camping and caravanning.

OHANA Town and OHANA Lodges are expected to open in April 2024. Photo: Tropical Islands

2023 was a record year for Croatia's tourism

Last year, 20.6 million travellers visited Croatia. According to the eVisitor system, these visitors generated 108 million overnight stays. Compared to 2022, the number of arrivals increased by 9 per cent and overnight stays by 3 per cent. The most popular destinations in Croatia were Istria, Split-Dalmatia County and Kvarner. Now, the Dubrovnik, by travel platform Big 7 Travel, has been named a 'must-visit' destination in 2024.

Detur launches charter from Gothenburg to Tunisia

Just in time for midsummer, Detur will start offering charter trips directly from Göteborg Landvetter Airport to beautiful Tunisia. Detur, headed by Danish owner Aventura Rejser (Aventura Travel Group), will offer weekly charters starting on 25 June in cooperation with the airline Airseven. Tunisia offers sun and beaches as well as interesting sights for those who want to explore the culture.

6 new restaurants at Swedavia's airports

The commercial offering at Swedavia's airports continues to grow. As many as six new units opened in December. Among other things, Stockholm Arlanda Airport got its first candy store in the form of RC Bon Bon Glacerie. Here are all the openings in December:

Arlanda, Terminal 5

WHSmith - Gate D12: The shop for the traveller on the go.
60° Bar & Brewery - Gate E1Pub, café, gastrobar
RC Bon Bon Glacerie - Marketplace: with ice cream and sweets
Craft n' Draft - Gate F29: Modern gastropub

Landvetter

Joe & The Juice: Energy shots and juices with superfood ingredients
C/C Cornelius Coffee: Dishes, snacks and barista coffee

Success for "Monet's Garden" - extended until 31 March

In response to high demand and interest, the interactive exhibition is now being extended Monet's Garden on Djurgården in Stockholm. Nearly 100,000 people have already visited the exhibition, which is now being extended until 31 March due to the high level of interest. The unique art experience, where Monet's enchanted world allows visitors to participate in an immersive, interactive oasis, currently tops Eventime's list of the most popular events.

Reflection of the week

Nice to see that more private travellers are travelling with Finnlines. Their new ship, Finnsirius, is absolutely beautiful! The new sister ship Finncanopus will apparently round the Godahoppsudden in South Africa. If we see the ship during our South Africa trip, we'll wave! (Well, not so likely, but a funny thought!)

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Wine tours, wilderness trains and travel trends in 2024