Foreign visitors are spending more money than ever in Norway as the country's tourism boom continues, but the increase is being driven by visitor numbers rather than bigger-spending tourists.
Foreign holidaymakers spent NOK 44 billion in Norway during 2025, according to figures from Innovation Norway's latest annual tourism survey.
That's NOK 6 billion more than the previous year and, when adjusted for inflation, 57% more than foreign tourists spent in Norway in 2019, before the pandemic disrupted international travel.
But the headline figure doesn't mean individual tourists have suddenly become much more willing to splash the cash in Norway.
In fact, average daily spending and total spending per visitor were broadly unchanged from 2024. The increase has instead come primarily from the growing number of international tourists choosing Norway for their holidays.
More Foreign Tourists Than Ever
Other tourism statistics tell much the same story. Norway recorded 40.6 million overnight stays at commercial accommodation in 2025, the first time the annual figure has passed 40 million.
Of those, 14.2 million were made by international visitors, an increase of 14% in just one year and the highest number ever recorded by Statistics Norway.
Hotels accounted for much of the growth. There were 28 million hotel stays during the year, with foreign guests responsible for almost all of the increase from 2024.
Camping also grew, while the expansion of short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb has become an increasingly important part of Norway's visitor economy.
Germany remains Norway's biggest international tourism market in terms of both overnight stays and total spending.
Almost 2.6 million commercial overnight stays in 2025 came from German visitors, well ahead of Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and Denmark.
The United States is Norway's second biggest market when measured by spending, despite producing substantially fewer overnight stays than Germany. American tourists typically spend considerably more per person during their visit.
Not All Tourists Spend The Same
One of the more interesting findings from Innovation Norway's research is just how much spending varies between different types of visitor.
Motorhome tourists are at the lower end of the scale, spending slightly less than NOK 800 per person per day on average.
At the other extreme are tourists visiting Norway to see the northern lights, who spend close to NOK 2,700 per person per day.
That difference is important as Norway considers how it wants its tourism industry to develop.
Rather than simply attracting ever greater numbers of visitors, Innovation Norway says the focus should increasingly be on visitors who take part in more experiences and leave more money in the local economy.
“Not all guests contribute equally to value creation,” said Aase Marthe J. Horrigmo, director of tourism at Innovation Norway.
The organisation also sees significant potential in encouraging more tourism outside the peak summer months. Oslo and Northern Norway already have a relatively good spread of visitors throughout the year, while southern Norway remains much more dependent on summer tourism.
Norway's Appeal Is Changing
Spectacular scenery remains the biggest reason international tourists choose Norway. The fjords, mountains, outdoor experiences and the prospect of peace and quiet continue to dominate visitors' motivations.
However, culture is becoming increasingly important too. Innovation Norway told E24 that seven in ten international visitors now combine nature and outdoor activities with cultural experiences during their Norwegian holiday.
Oslo in particular benefits from the growing interest in culture, architecture, food and city experiences.
There is also evidence that Norway's tourism boom isn't finished yet.
Statistics Norway recorded more than 2.9 million hotel stays in June 2026, the highest June figure on record. Almost 1.1 million were made by foreign guests, up 1.2% from June 2025.
Managing Norway's Tourism Boom
The record spending comes at an interesting time for Norwegian tourism policy.
Norway's new visitor contribution law came into force in July 2026, giving municipalities experiencing particularly heavy pressure from tourism the option of introducing a local accommodation tax.
The first municipalities will be able to begin collecting the tax from January 2027.
The money must be used to fund tourism-related public goods and infrastructure. That could include facilities such as public toilets and waste management, together with other services and infrastructure where demand increases substantially because of visitor numbers.
Municipalities wanting to introduce the tax must draw up a plan explaining how the revenue will be spent. Tromsø has already done so.
It's a debate likely to become more important if Norway's tourism growth continues. Foreign visitors are bringing record amounts of money into the Norwegian economy, but popular destinations also face the costs that come with increasing numbers of people.
The NOK 44 billion figure underlines just how important international tourism has become to Norway. The challenge now is not simply attracting more visitors, but ensuring that the benefits of that growth are felt in the communities receiving them.
