Have you heard of silent travel, noctourism, or sleep tourism? Fresh statistics from SAS now show that northern Scandinavia is attracting more and more tourists. European travelers are increasingly choosing the cold and darkness of northern Scandinavia over warmth during the winter months. Three new global travel trends for 2025 align perfectly with our dark, cold Scandinavian climate and the opportunity to visit nature-based and remote destinations.
The trend of Noctourism is about experiencing the night in all its glory and chasing dark sky zones, with less light pollution, for activities such as stargazing and Northern Lights watching. Northern Scandinavia, with its auroras and remote landscapes, is becoming a top destination for these experiences. This trend also aligns with the growing interest in visiting authentic, untouched, and more remote destinations far from large tourist crowds.
Similar to noctourism, sleep tourism is another growing global trend where travelers go to specific places in an attempt to experience the best possible sleep. Here in Scandinavia, tourists can try sleeping under the Northern Lights in Greenlandic igloos or in remote cabins near Lofoten.
Silent travel is based on the pursuit of total disconnection. Within this trend, there are several ways to embrace silence and stillness, which doesn’t always mean spending days only listening to your own thoughts—it can also be about listening to the sounds around us, where nature plays a big part. Activities could include silent hiking tours, checking into quiet and remote resorts, or putting away your phone for a couple of days.
“What we Scandinavians often see as dark, boring, and cold months are, for many tourists, a unique and exotic experience. We are definitely seeing an increase from last year, where more European tourists are booking trips to our more remote destinations in northern Scandinavia. It’s great to see more and more people moving beyond the major cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm to seek tranquility in the northern parts of the country. It’s exciting to welcome new travelers to our home turf,” says Thomas Thessen, Chief Analyst at SAS.
Peter Salomonsson, CEO of Kiruna Lapland, confirms the increased interest and points out that the Northern Lights are a significant factor in drawing more and more people to their region: “Here, 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, we have the perfect conditions to offer a magical experience. We notice a clear demand for activities that take advantage of both the silence and the polar light. For many, it’s an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and experience something genuine and unforgettable in Kiruna.”
Kiruna, Luleå, Östersund, and Sälen are some of the destinations in northern Scandinavia that are seeing the biggest increase. Starting in 2025, SAS will also make it easier for British travelers to discover the Scandinavian winter through a new direct flight between London and Sälen. As of December 2, SAS also flies from Copenhagen to Rovaniemi in northern Finland, a destination that attracts travelers from primarily England, Germany, France, and Italy.
Other northern destinations that have become more popular include the Norwegian cities of Alta, Bodø, Harstad/Narvik, Kirkenes, Svalbard, and Tromsø. The search for darkness is also supported by the peak travel periods, with February and March showing the highest travel volumes from Europe to northern Scandinavia. Those joining the trend are primarily Germans, Dutch, Spaniards, Italians, and Swiss.
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