We are currently, since a few days back, in South Africa. That doesn't stop us from publishing travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. Every Monday we serve up short excerpts from the week's press releases on travel, camping and tourism.
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Swedes cut back on everyday luxuries to save for travelling
When the hotel and travel search site momondo surveyed Swedish travellers for the new year, more than a third (37 percent) said that saving is one of their New Year's resolutions for 2024. At the same time, one in five (21 percent) say they want to travel more during the year - a New Year's resolution that almost all (93 percent) say is somewhat challenged by the desire to save at the same time. This is what Swedes would prefer to cut back on in order to save for travelling:
- Stop eating out (56 %)
- Skip the takeaway (53 %)
- Not buying new clothes/shoes (45 %)
- Refrain from professional beauty treatments (37 %)
- Refrain from drinking coffee (35 %)
Most popular destinations and hotels in 2023
With 2023 now behind us, Hotels.com has taken a closer look at the past year to summarise popular destinations and hotels. European destinations attracted Swedes the most and the most popular hotel internationally, among Swedes, were Copenhagen Admiral Hotel in Copenhagen. The most popular hotel in global searches was Sahara Las Vegas in Las Vegas. The most sought-after countries among Swedes were:
- Spain
- Denmark
- Italy
- England
- Germany
These hotels get the highest ratings from Swedish travellers
TUI has compiled a top list of the ten hotels with the best ratings from Swedish travellers among thousands of hotels. At the top is the five-star hotel Rodos Palladium in Greece, closely followed by the adult hotel TUI Blue Barut Andiz in Turkish Side. Here is the full list:
- Rodos Palladium*- Rhodes, Greece
- TUI Blue Barut Andiz****+ (adult hotel) - Side, Turkey
- Flamingo Paradise**** (adult hotel) - Fig Tree Bay, Cyprus
- Atlantica Imperial Resort* (adult hotel) - Rhodes, Greece
- Fito Aqua Blue Resort***+ - Samos, Greece
- Riu Palace Meloneras* - Gran Canaria, Spain
- NissiBlu Beach Resort* - Nissi Beach, Cyprus
- Valamar Meteor Hotel**** - Makarska, Croatia
- Christina Apartments***+ - Crete, Greece
- Proteas Blue Resort****+ (adult hotel) - Samos, Greece
Japan's largest airline launches Stockholm - Tokyo route
Japan's largest airline, ANA, is establishing itself at Stockholm Arlanda Airport with a direct route to Tokyo Haneda, the country's largest airport and an international hub. ANA will be an important addition to the offering at Stockholm Arlanda, connecting the Swedish capital with one of the most important markets in Asia. The Stockholm Arlanda Airport - Tokyo Haneda route will start with the 2024 winter schedule.
Tickets now available for M/S Birka Gotland - premiere cruise 20 March.
On 23 January, the first tickets for the Baltic Sea's new pleasure cruiser M/S Birka Gotland were released. At the same time, it was revealed that the premiere cruise departs from Stadsgårdskajen in Stockholm to Gotland. Mariehamn on 20 March. From the Easter weekend, cruises and regular trips to and from Visby also begin with the ship. The trips are sold via the brand new website birkagotland.se and via Viking Line and Destination Gotland's channels.
Norwegian releases tickets for 2024-2025 winter season
Now that winter weather has arrived in Sweden, Norwegian is releasing tickets for the next winter season with a total of 159 routes to 71 destinations. This means that it is already possible to book tickets for the next winter season from the end of October 2024 to the end of March 2025.
2024 at Norrviken Gardens: The whole world in a garden
The theme for 2024 at Norrviken Gardens outside Båstad is "The whole world in a garden". With this year's theme, you travel backwards, forwards, out into the world and into your innermost being. This year's seasonal exhibition is SOLEIL Comsi Comsare in Erikshus, created by interior designer, designer and entrepreneur Marie Olsson Nylander, known from SVT's Husdrömmar på Sicilien. The year begins with the exhibition Narcissus and the secrets of spring in Erikshus during the opening of the season on 28 March.
Reflection of the week
Exciting with M/S Birka Gotland. We would love to try travelling with this on occasion!
Did you miss last week's travel news? Read the Hawaii hotels, charter to Tunisia and record year for Croatia
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Anna Nilsson Spets says:
Well, that's what I've always saved for to be able to travel, I've never done beauty treatment in my whole life haha. Pick-up coffee, well that's for the city people, here in the countryside noooo.
I buy 90 per cent of my clothes and shoes second-hand. Takeaway food ... yes, it's a problem, the husband, i.e. my Belgian, has to have frittjes from the fryer at least once a week. Food, yes, no ready meals here and often I buy with a short date.
29 January 2024 - 6:22
Helena says:
There is a lot to save on! Beauty treatments and takeaway coffee are not something we spend money on either. We are happy to buy clothes, but we try to buy "wisely" and things we need. Other things you can save on are e.g. the amount of TV channels (sometimes we pay for e.g. Netflix, but we only subscribe for periods and cancel the subscription when we are travelling for longer periods ...) and other monthly costs that easily go up ...
30 January 2024 - 5:16