“Two inbound markets to watch are Russia and China – nations on the move, whose growing middle classes are exploring the world as never before. The number of overnights they have spent in Denmark has more than doubled in the past five years.”
In 2013, Statistics Denmark recorded a total of 21.9 million overnight stays by international tourists – over 2 million more than in 2009. Some 56.8% represented German tourists (the largest inbound market), with another 11.2% coming from Norway (the second-largest inbound market).
Tourists from the UK generated a modest 3.1% of overnight stays, however, the number of stays by British visitors has steadily increased, rising from 477,493 overnights in 2009, to 671,175 in 2013 – due largely to the popularity of Copenhagen as a short-break destination fuelled by frequent flights between the UK and Denmark and the competitive rates offered by the numerous low-cost carriers (LCCs) that serve the route.
Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport is Denmark’s principal gateway and Scandinavia’s largest hub. Preliminary figures from the airport show that in 2013, it handled 24.1 million passengers (inbound and outbound) – up from 19.6 million in 2009. A new terminal (CPH Go), dedicated to the LCCs, opened in 2010 and plans are afoot to further expand the Kastrup’s facilities. Airport authorities predict that by 2035, the number of passengers passing through Copenhagen could reach 40 million – almost double the number of passengers at present.
Denmark’s cruise sector has already seen a huge jump in the number of passengers coming to Copenhagen. Figures from VisitCopenhagen, tracking cruise arrivals during the past decade, show that in 2004, the port processed 362,000 passengers – a number which, by 2013, had rocketed to 800,000 passengers.
Cruise lines are serving new ports of call and northern routes such as the Baltic Sea and the Norwegian fjords are becoming more popular. Gearing up for continued growth in the cruise industry (in general, not just Scandinavia), the transnational Copenhagen Malmö Port has been preparing for the 2014 summer season (and beyond) by constructing new passenger terminals.
In tandem with the rise in the number of international visitors coming to Denmark, tourism revenues have been rising. WTTC figures show that in 2013, foreign visitors spent US$7 billion while in the country – up from US$6.12 billion in 2009. Part of this increase is attributed to spending by ‘new’ tourists such as the Chinese and the Russians and the enduring popularity of Copenhagen as a venue for meetings and conventions.
Spending on domestic travel has also gone up, albeit at a more modest rate than international tourism. In 2009, Danes spent US$8 billion while holidaying at home. In 2013, they spent US$8.5 billion (with a few fluctuations – up and down – in the intervening years).
Domestic travellers have the potential of generating even higher tourism revenues but many Danes own (or rent) holiday homes, which cost them less than having to pay for serviced accommodation – ie staying at a hotel or having to fork out for restaurant meals. (Those holiday expenses do not, of course, take into account the running costs of a second home.)
In addition, due to competitive airfares, Danes have been enjoying more holidays abroad, spending their disposable income in ‘warm-weather’ destinations such as Spain, Italy, Turkey, Thailand and Egypt, rather than within Denmark.
This report looks at the following areas:
Why did Denmark’s tourism industry escape the worst of the recession and the Eurozone debt crisis?
What countries are Denmark’s principal source markets and why?
Why is Copenhagen the most popular destination among foreign tourists?
What major event will showcase Denmark in 2014?
How is Denmark’s tourism industry gearing up for the future?
