Brand new cruise, hotel trends and tower games

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It's Monday again, which as usual means travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. We go through all the week's travel and tourism press releases, pick out the most interesting ones and present short extracts from them. Stay tuned!

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This is where Swedes are travelling for the sports holidays

Thousands of Swedish holidaymakers are choosing warmer climes. The most popular destinations are Gran Canaria, Phuket and Tenerife during this year's school holidays. This is according to booking statistics from the travel operator TUI. At the same time, bookings to Cape Verde have increased by 44 per cent. This is where Swedes are travelling over the sports holidays:

1. Gran Canaria, Spain
2. Phuket, Thailand
3. Tenerife, Spain
4. Krabi, Thailand
5. Lanzarote, Spain
6. Sal, Cape Verde
7. Cancun/Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
8. Boavista, Cape Verde
9. Hurghada, Egypt
10. Mauritius

Premiere of a new cruise - from the Canary Islands

MSC Cruises launches during the winter of 2024/2025 a completely new cruise route from the Swedes' favourite destination Canary Islands, with embarkation on Gran Canaria or Tenerife. During the 7-night cruise with MSC Opera, guests can go ashore on five Canary Islands and Funchal, Madeira. With up to 16 hours in port, there's plenty of time to enjoy what each destination has to offer. On board the MSC Opera there are gourmet restaurants, a relaxation centre and a pool area.

Summer cottage on wheels is very popular

More and more Swedes are seeing the benefits of having a holiday home on wheels. And there is a clear trend towards long-stay campers. Many campers choose the same place at the same campsite - year after year. This is according to the Swedish Caravan and Motorhome Association in a press release. Two points about seasonal camping are clear:

• Many people choose to double up between summer and winter camping.
• Campsite choices and holiday plans come in waves depending on your stage of life.

Ryanair launches four new routes

Irish airline Ryanair is launching four new routes for the 2024 summer season from Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Göteborg Landvetter Airport. The following routes will be launched:

• Stockholm - Vilnius 2 times/week (starting 31 March 2024)
• Stockholm - Rhodes 2 times/week (starting 2 April 2024)
• Gothenburg - Rome 3 times/week (starting 31 March 2024)
• Gothenburg - Brussels 2 times/week (starting 31 March 2024)

More flights from Stockholm Arlanda to North America

Accessibility between Sweden's largest airport and North America will increase significantly when, starting in mid-April, two new long-haul routes are added to the existing offering from the airport. Both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are returning and will operate routes from Stockholm Arlanda to Newark and JFK respectively during the 2024 summer season. This means that there will be a total of almost 30 departures per week with up to five departures per day to the North American continent.

Five Swedish hotel trends in 2024

Even though the pandemic year and the recession have been challenging for Swedish hotels, many now see a bright future, not least because of their ability to adapt to new conditions. The industry organisation Countryside Hotels has, based on interviews with 35 member hotels around Sweden, identified five clear hotel trends for 2024:

1. Want more than food and accommodation - They also want experiences, such as wine tasting or outdoor activities in the neighbourhood.
2. Shorter lead time - Many people book with shorter notice, which is also evident in the case of conferences.
3. Price becomes more important - More economical arrangements are becoming more common, such as fewer nights and less extensive packages.
4. More days in the week - Hotels are looking at untapped potential and offering popular Sunday packages, with overnight stays from Sunday to Monday.
5. Back to the countryside - Scenic locations with a relaxed pace are increasingly sought after, as is personalised service.

Tower games and witches at Kalmar Castle

In mid-September, the lake plain at the Kalmar Castle will be filled with magnificent horses and brave knights. On 13-15 September, Kalmar Castle will host the premiere of Tornerspel - with Sweden's leading knightly society, a medieval market and hands-on activities for children.Already this spring is the premiere of the exhibition "Witches", which is on display at Kalmar Castle between 28 March and 3 November 2024.

reflection of the week

Cruising around the Canary Islands sounds like a fun concept! We have long been curious about doing a trip to the Canary Islands that involves visiting a whole bunch of the islands, and not just one.

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Sunny destinations and the winners of the Grand Travel Award

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