Sweden’s number one ski destination
The travel and tourism industry is Sweden’s fastest-growing industry sector. Dalarna is Sweden’s most visited tourist area outside of the metropolitan regions of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. December 22, 2019 the first flights will arrive at Scandinavian Mountains Airport in Dalarna and a new era for the travel and tourism industry in the region will begin.
Revenues from international visitors have more than doubled in the last five-year period and visitor volumes have increased faster than the European average. Sweden is ranked among the top 5 in the Travel & tourism competitive index according to the World Economic Forum. Dalarna is Sweden’s most visited tourist area outside of the metropolitan regions of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. In order to keep up with this demand, heavy investments are required in the tourism industry in Dalarna in the coming years.
Year-round destination
With its central location in the middle of Sweden and the ideal mix of cultural events, outdoor activities and tradition on offer for the domestic or international tourist, Dalarna is a year-round tourist destination with around 5 million commercial guest nights per year. Two of Sweden’s most visited tourist attractions are found in Dalarna: Idre Fjäll and Sälen Ski resort, the latter being Sweden’s number one ski resort. One of Sweden’s UNESCO World Heritage sites – Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain is located in Falun in Dalarna. The enormous mining excavation known as the Great Pit at Falun is the most striking feature of a landscape that illustrates the activity of copper production in this region since at least the 13th century.
The travel and tourism industry in Dalarna can be divided into four segments: Outdoor summer, outdoor winter, culture & tradition and alpine skiing, and two target groups: Active families and “Wealthy healthy older people” (WHOPs). There is a steady increase in foreign visitors to the county of Dalarna and 2018 Dalarna had 730 000 foreign guest nights.
Tourism at Dalarna University
At Dalarna University research within the field of tourism is conducted at the Centre for Tourism and Leisure Research, CeTLeR. CeTLeR is a center for high quality and internationally competitive research in the fields of destination development and marketing, mobility, event management, heritage tourism and rural tourism. At the same time CeTLeR is working for a strengthened tourism industry in Dalarna through collaborations with organizations and businesses in the region.
There are two educational programs in Tourism Studies at Dalarna University, one Bachelor program “International Tourism Management” and one Master program, “Tourism Destination Development”.
Why Dalarna?
Dalarna is a strong tourism brand in Sweden and in the international arena. The travel and tourism industry is steadily growing and one of Sweden’s core industries. The various actors in the industry are working together with Visit Dalarna to develop Dalarna even further as a tourist destination, to make sure that the region can meet the needs of tomorrow’s tourists.
There are great opportunities for international investors in the travel and tourism industry in Dalarna. Investments are needed to meet the demand for accommodation and services in both existing facilities and new establishments. The most spectacular investment project in the region is the Scandinavian Mountains Airport project, the first airport to be built in Sweden since 1999. The development encompasses a 3,000 square meter new airport facility – right on the border between Sweden and Norway.
Please contact us for information about investment opportunities in Dalarna!
