Western Norway 'slashes tourism ads' in response to too much tourism
It is the kind of problem most travel marketers can only dream of. The Western Norway tourist board has decided to cut its advertising spend because it says it is being overwhelmed by too many tourists.
Norway
The region is home to some of Norway's most magnificent fjords and, as such, an influx of fans of the Disney franchise Frozen, whose fictional Arendelle setting closely resembles the area. “This year is sort of off the charts… quite incredible,” Kristian Jorgensen, managing director of Fjord Norway, told the Telegraph.
Jorgensen credits the Frozen effect for surging visitor numbers which have resulted in fully-booked hotels, traffic problems and queues at popular destinations. “I’m quite sure the film Frozen had an effect. It’s the most successful animation film ever made, basically about the fjords. The numbers have just exploded."
The number of people visiting the dramatic Preikestolen attraction, main picture, has soared from 60,000 in 2009 to 300,000 today, according to the Telegraph's report.
“These are almost marketing themselves,” Jorgensen said. “People are taking selfies like crazy.”
With fully-booked hotels now a fixture of the summer, Fjord Norway is instead planning to redistribute summer spend to promoting attractions in spring, autumn and winter, and raising the profile of lesser-known destinations.