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Norway opens up to Swedish tourists… so long as they’re from Gotland

Norway will allow travel to and from all regions of Finland, Sweden and Iceland that have an 'acceptable' infection level – a criterion that rules out every region in Sweden apart from the island of Gotland.

Published: 12 June 2020 15:21 CEST
Norway opens up to Swedish tourists... so long as they're from Gotland
Just one small island region of Sweden meets the criteria. Photo: FHI/The Local
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Bjørn Guldvog, the head of Norway's directorate of health, said that the guidelines drawn up meant that the whole of mainland Sweden would remain off limits until infection rates declined.
 
“In Sweden, the epidemic situation is unfortunately such that we can only now open up for leisure travel to and from Gotland,” he said, according to a report by state broadcaster NRK. 
 
All regions of Denmark, Iceland, and Finland currently meet the criteria. 
 
Prime Minister Erna Solberg conceded that the results of the new assessments would be unwelcome to those wishing to travel to and from Sweden.
 
“I realise this is a big disappointment for some people. But the restrictions are based on objective criteria that are the same for everyone,” she said at the press conference. 
 
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Solberg said the new guidelines would allow Norway to now open up for leisure travel to and from every country in the Nordic region, including Finland, Sweden and Iceland. It opened up to Danish citizens at the end of last month. 
 
“But this only applies to regions with an acceptable reproduction number,” she added.
 
 
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has assessed each region in the Nordics on the basis of their incidence rate over the past 14 days, and based on the percentage of positive samples over the past 14 days. 
 
But it has also applied 'qualitative criteria', judging regions on the extent to which those with even mild symptoms are tested, on how good their contract tracing system is, and on the quality of information given out to travellers. 
 
It has produced a new set of advice for international travel and a map, showing which regions in the Nordic countries meet the criteria and which do not.  
 
 
 
 
Solberg said that the criteria will allow Norway in future to open up for and shut down to different regions as the level of infection in them fluctuates, with the NIPH publishing new regional assessments every fortnight. 
 
“Let me emphasise – this is not just about where to spend the holidays this summer. We must plan for travel restrictions to last over time,” she said.  
 
In a small ray of good news for those wishing to travel to and from Sweden, Bent Høie, Norway's health minister, said that several regions bordering Norway were currently close to meeting the criteria, meaning that they could see controls lifted when the situation is reevaluated in two weeks' time. 
 
 
Solberg warned that the new system could mean a region of another Nordic country is ruled off limits at short notice, forcing Norwegians to cancel planned trips or to unexpectedly have to spend ten days in quarantine on their return. 
 
“If you are planning a holiday outside Norway, you must also be aware that quarantine can be reintroduced at short notice if the infection situation changes while abroad,” she said. 
 
The announcement came a day after Finland opened its borders to all of the Baltic and Nordic states except Sweden. 

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TRANSPORT

Why a Norwegian airline wants to charge tourists more than residents

Widerøe, a Norwegian regional airline, is pushing for a new ticket pricing strategy that will see tourists charged more than residents on some flights.

Published: 16 April 2024 13:47 CEST
Why a Norwegian airline wants to charge tourists more than residents

The airline Widerøe has propsoed a new approach to ticket pricing, over concerns that the recently halved maximum prices on short-haul flights provided by the government may actually make travel less accessible for residents in Norway’s rural districts, regional newspaper Brønnøysunds Avis reports. 

The airline has suggested adopting a Spanish model, where different fares apply to permanent residents and tourists, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

This model, according to the airline, would aim to strike a balance between making air travel in rural areas accessible for local residents while ensuring that routes are not filled up by tourists.

Norway’s FOT route system

In Norway, the vast majority of air traffic operates under commercial arrangements.

However, to maintain a comprehensive network of flight services across the country, the government pays for transportation by procuring flight route services through public competitions among airlines on routes that may not be economically viable for commercial operators.

These routes are primarily located in western Norway and northern Norway (you can find the full list on the Norwegian government’s website), and Widerøe is one of the largest providers of these flights.

These arrangements, known as FOT routes (forpliktelser til offentlig tjenesteytelse på flyruter in Norwegian roughly translates to a ‘public service obligation on flight routes’), impose requirements such as maximum ticket prices, capacity, frequency, and routing.

Typically, the contract is awarded to the airline offering the lowest cost to the state, granting them exclusive rights to scheduled traffic on the designated route for the contract period.

Higher demand prompts reaction from Widerøe

Effective from April 1st, 2024, and August 1st, 2024, new agreements will govern these FOT routes. One of the tweaks will see the maximum prices that airlines can charge on some routes halved. 

While these agreements are expected to enhance accessibility and affordability for travellers across Norway, Widerøe has already noted a surge in demand on some of the routes, particularly from holidaymakers and leisure travellers.

Concerns have also been raised regarding potential adverse effects on patients reliant on air transportation for medical purposes.

Lina Lindegaard Carlsen, Widerøe’s communications advisor, acknowledged the issue and suggested exploring alternative pricing models to address them effectively.

“It remains to be seen how it will actually turn out, but if it becomes difficult to get people in need to be served, then we believe that other price models will work better for those completely dependent on aeroplanes as public transport,” Lindegaard Carlsen said.

The communications advisor added that Widerøe had recommended to the Ministry of Transport that a new price model be considered. Under this model, residents along the FTO network would get a solid discount on flights, regardless of whether the journey consists is a FTO or commercial flight.

“This would ensure a low price for the residents of Norway’s districts while at the same time ensuring that the most popular departures are not filled up by holiday and leisure travellers many months in advance,” Carlsen said.

Widerøe was formally acquired by Norwegian Airlines in January 2024.

When the takeover was first announced in July 2023, Norwegian CEO Geir Karlsen said, “With this transaction, we will now create a streamlined and more comprehensive offer for all customers, and we look forward to offering seamless travel across our entire route networks.”

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