Tokyo, gastronomi och influencers som skapar missnöje

It's Monday again, which of course means travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. This week it's noticeable that it's holiday time, in the form of slightly fewer press releases than usual in the inbox. But of course we still have a bunch of news to present!

Table of contents

New direct route between Stockholm and Tokyo

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, is expanding its winter schedule with three new destinations: Stockholm, Milan and Istanbul. The new direct flights from Tokyo Haneda (HND) will take off for the first time from Stockholm Arlanda on 31 January 2025.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner in ANA livery, photographed from Clay Lacy's Astrovision Learjet.

Gastronomy and undiscovered destinations important for Swedes

A new Sifo survey from TUI, conducted by Kantar Media, reveals what Swedes value when planning a trip. Most people say they want gastronomic experiences. Top 3 - This is important when Swedes book a trip:

High quality of food and gastronomic experiences at the destination (19 %)
New exciting destinations that most people don't visit (17 %)
Treat themselves to quality and luxury experiences at their destination even if they cannot afford a full-scale luxury holiday (15 %)

Influencers' holiday photos cause discontent

A new survey from Countyside Hotels shows that few Swedes believe that influencers holiday photos represent reality. Only 1 per cent think that the pictures show reality very well, while 29 per cent feel that they give a partly fair picture. 12% say they are inspired by influencers' posts. 7% feel less satisfied with their own holiday when comparing themselves to influencers' photos, and 13% feel less satisfied when comparing with friends' photos.

Season premiere for Unsdagar in Helsingborg

For the third year in a row, the summer event Unsdagar is organised in Helsingborg. On 24 July, it's the season premiere and for four Wednesdays, HBG City invites you to entertainment at Konsul Trapp's place. With the event Unsdagar, HBG City wants to offer citizens of Helsinki and visitors an opportunity to treat themselves to a nice summer evening in the city centre. This summer's Unsdagar will be held on 24 July, 31 July, 7 August and 14 August at 17.00-18.30. Information is available at hbgcity.se/unsdagar, which is updated regularly.

Many activities for children and young people during the Food Festival in Skövde

Activities for children and young people during the Food Festival in Skövde (30-31 August) are starting to take shape. Just like last year, Balthazar will be in Kyrkparken, the scouts will be there and there will be face painting. Knaster & Knas will be performing magic tricks and on Saturday Lia Larsson will be on the main stage. For young people aged 13 to 25, the Culture Lab is open until midnight on both days.

Happy children in Skövde. Photo: Tobias Andersson

Malta wine festival celebrates local wines and talent

Winemaker Delicata invites you to the 21st annual Classic Wine Festival at Malta. The festival combines wine, local culinary talent and live music. This year's festival takes place on 9, 10 and 11 August in Valletta's Upper Barrakka Gardens from 7pm to midnight.

Reflection of the week

It may be worth considering the emotions evoked by influencers' holiday photos. It's also interesting that more people feel dissatisfied when they compare themselves to their friends' photos...

Then, of course, you might wonder what the respondents mean by "influencers". Is it everyone who blogs / instagrams / youtubes for fun, or are they thinking more about big international accounts and/or celebrities?

Did you miss last week's travel news? Read the Green bunker, new car park and how many people have sex outdoors