Heta höstresmål, digital detox och Östersjökryssningar

It's Monday again, which means travel news here at FREEDOMtravel! We at the editorial team, Helena and Peter, are currently on a tour of Georgia, but that doesn't stop us from publishing the latest travel and tourism news.

Table of contents

Where Swedes travel during the autumn holidays

The autumn holidays are one of the most travel-intensive periods of the year - and this year is no exception. At travel company TUI, bookings for autumn holiday trips have increased by 12% compared to last year. Most people are travelling to Gran Canaria, Cyprus and Tenerife. Majorca, Crete and Turkey are among the most popular destinations compared to last year. Top 10 destinations for the autumn holidays:

Gran Canaria, Spain
Cyprus
Tenerife, Spain
Rhodes, Greece
Crete, Greece
Antalya Coast, Turkey
Cancun, Mexico
Hurghada, Egypt
Sal, Cape Verde
Mallorca, Spain

Big cities dominate spontaneous bookings for autumn holidays

Travel agency Tickets' latest booking statistics show that Swedes are choosing to spontaneously book trips to major European cities for the autumn holidays. With cities like Berlin, Prague and Paris at the top, there is a clear change compared to previous years, when trips to sun and beach resorts accounted for a larger share of last-minute bookings. At the same time, the figures show that 7 out of 10 of the autumn holidays booked more in advance are to classic sun and beach destinations around the Mediterranean. Top 5 spontaneously booked destinations:

Berlin, Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Paris, France
Amsterdam, Netherlands
London, United Kingdom

One in five Swedes seeks digital detox

The trend of 'soft travel' - where travellers deliberately slow down and focus on recovery - seems to be gaining popularity. This is confirmed by hotel and travel search site momondo's latest survey, which found that almost 1 in 5 Swedish travellers plan to do a digital detox on one of their trips this year. With that in mind, momondo has picked five destinations that offer the perfect balance of physical and mental reconnection:

Kyoto, Japan - Forest baths for the soul
Bergen, Norway - silent fjords and silent retreats
Ubud, Bali - spirituality and healing treatments
Fjällbacka, Sweden - A natural home feeling in the wake of the film
Ischia, Italy - volcanic springs and warming serenity

International travel fair held in Tashkent

The travel fair "Tourism on the Silk Road", TTIF-2024, is organised in TashkentThis year, the fair will bring together tourism experts from all over the world. You can find out more about the event at titf.uz.

Snälltåget runs Copenhagen - Stockholm every day

The fast train will run Stockholm - Copenhagen every day of the week, even during winter. The original plan was to run only Thursday - Sunday during the winter months. The direct train departs from Stockholm C at 09.33 and arrives in Copenhagen H at 15.05. In the direction from Copenhagen the train departs at 16.07 and arrives in Stockholm C at 22.10. A journey costs from 299 SEK one way.

Birka Gotland's 2025 destination cruises are now released

Tickets for Birka Gotland's 2025 destination cruises are now available. Among the news are early summer cruises to Riga and an extension of the Gotland season with departures from Easter Sunday to the end of August. For the first time, it will also be possible to visit the Harvest Festival on Åland with Birka Gotland. In addition, several longer trips are offered to popular Baltic Sea destinations such as High Coast, Ystad, Bornholm and Riga.

The gnomes move into Gröna Lund

They're white, fluffy and love to laze around and have fun. We haven't seen their antics since 1990 (when the last comic was cancelled), but soon we'll finally get to know these quirky and curious characters again! In the spring of 2025, the Gnuttarna will move into Gröna Lund, where they will entertain visitors with fun, mischief, song and dance - something that will be Gröna Lund's biggest investment in new characters ever.

Reflection of the week

Longing for a digital detox? Yes, there are probably many people who find it nice to take a break from email and social media sometimes. We also try to take some bigger breaks from computers and mobiles from time to time, to be a little more in the moment. For us, it will only be shorter breaks though. We have a digital job ... How is it for you? Do you feel the need for a digital detox sometimes?

Did you miss last week's travel news? Read the AI influencers, travel trends 2025 and unique exhibitions