Hållbara campingar, AI för reseplanering och trendande resmål

Hope you had and still have a great Easter! Today is Easter Monday, but of course we still present travel news as usual here at FREEDOMtravel. Stay tuned!

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Increased interest in sustainable campsites

More and more campsites are focusing on the environment, and some are choosing to be certified according to certain environmental requirements. "Sustainability in the form of sorting, heating, social and staff responsibility are areas where we see a general increase in interest among campers," says Bertil Persson, advisor at SCR Svensk Camping. The popularity of niche wilderness campsites is also increasing, with a focus on hiking or canoeing experiences, for example.

Ramsviks Stugby & Camping in Hunnebostrand, with 86 roof areas with solar panels.

Tax refunds boost travel - these destinations are trending

Many Swedes have now been notified of this year's tax refund, and data from the hotel and travel search site momondo.se shows that flight searches to European destinations have increased by about 43 per cent compared to the previous month. This may indicate that many Swedes are willing to spend their tax refund on travel. Top five trending destinations, which increased the most compared to last month:

Antalya, Turkey
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Paris, France
Athens, Greece
Barcelona, Spain

New charter from Umeå: Zakynthos

Detur continues its focus on charter from northern Sweden and is now expanding at Umeå Airport. The brand new destination Zakynthos is added to the offer, and it is the first time ever that charters to the Greek island are arranged from the airport. During October 2024, a total of three charter trips with Detur will be arranged from Umeå: Zakynthos on 3 October, Cyprus 19 October and Rhodes 27 October.

New food and shopping options at Landvetter airport

On Tuesday 26 March, Landvetter's brand new food, drink and shopping offerings were inaugurated with pomp and circumstance. The most eye-catching change at the airport is the growing range of restaurants, where well-known, popular brands mix with exciting, newly developed concepts. Here are the newly opened units at Göteborg Landvetter Airport:

Barino - Italian Inspired Cuisine
Bastard Burgers
Bistro & Bar
C/C Cornelius Coffee
Espresso House
FIKA
Joe & The Juice
Pocket Shop
Sweshop
WHSmith

More and more Swedes are using AI to plan their journeys

According to a survey by Hotels.com, more than a fifth (21%) of Swedes have already used AI to plan a trip, and almost half (47%) are interested in using ChatGPT to plan their trips. To help travellers discover technology that can make travel smoother, Hotels.com lists some of the world's most high-tech and futuristic hotels:

Hotel Puerta América, Madrid - Not only a hotel but also an art installation, and futuristic architecture.
CityHub Amsterdam, Amsterdam - Smart minimalistic capsules with modern and innovative technology.
YOTEL New York Times Square, New York - With a robotic arm in the lobby for automated luggage storage.
Eccleston Square Hotel, London - With technology such as electronically adjustable beds and flat-screen TVs in the bathroom mirror.
Henn na Hotel Kyoto Hachijoguchi, Kyoto - Here you are greeted by humanoid robots at check-in.

Witches exhibition opens at Kalmar Castle

On Maundy Thursday, the Witches exhibition opened at the Kalmar Castle. Using scenography, images and films, we learn more about the Swedish witch trials that raged from 1668 to 1676. The exhibition is created by artist Pompe Hedengren and scenographer Erik Gullberg, and the texts are written by Cecilia Düringer, the history teacher behind P3 Historia. The exhibition is on display between 28 March and 3 November 2024.

Reflection of the week

Sustainable campsites are excellent, but the press release doesn't really explain how the information on guests' wishes was obtained. It would be interesting to see a survey of campers. How many people actually think about sustainability when choosing a campsite?

Travel planning with AI is also an exciting issue. But what high numbers! Are there really that many people who use or want to use ChatGPT for travel planning? What is your experience?

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Boat bus, reduced prices and where Swedes are travelling this Easter.