Sweden’s cooler summers are attracting more European tourists, as visitors from France, Spain and other warmer parts of Europe increasingly look north to escape temperatures exceeding 30°C. Tourism operators in Stockholm, Västernorrland and Södermanland say travellers are explicitly mentioning the climate when explaining their choice of destination.
At Skuleberget, a mountain overlooking Sweden’s High Coast (Höga Kusten) in Ångermanland, Dutch and German visitors have long been a familiar presence. This summer, however, local climbing operator Tero Libell has also received more guests from France, Spain and Belgium.
“Something has happened. That is clear and obvious,” Libell told Sweden Herald.
According to Libell, international visitors increasingly say they have travelled to northern Sweden because conditions in their home countries have become too hot.
Sweden’s cooler weather is becoming a tourism asset
The emerging trend is sometimes described as a coolcation, a holiday planned in a destination offering milder temperatures than traditional summer resorts.
In central Stockholm, visitors from southern France and Spain told Sweden Herald that the Swedish climate was part of the appeal. French tourist Julien Mary said temperatures in his home region had reached between 33°C and 35°C. Alba Hervás, visiting from Barcelona, welcomed the possibility of wearing a jacket rather than facing temperatures of between 35°C and 40°C.
Their accounts do not prove that climate has become the main factor behind rising tourism in Sweden. Travel costs, transport links and destination marketing continue to influence visitor numbers. However, similar comments from travellers in different parts of the country suggest that summer heat in southern Europe is beginning to affect holiday choices.
French and Spanish tourism in Sweden is increasing
Official accommodation figures support the reports of growing interest from several European markets.
According to the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket), French guest nights in Swedish commercial accommodation increased by 28% in 2025, the strongest rise among Sweden’s ten largest foreign tourism markets.
Guest nights from Italy rose by 12%, while Switzerland recorded an increase of 9%. Germany and Norway nevertheless remained Sweden’s two largest foreign tourism markets, accounting for 3.7 million and 3.5 million overnight stays respectively.
Across all markets, Sweden registered 70.8 million commercial guest nights in 2025, an increase of 2.5% from the previous year. Foreign visitors accounted for 18.4 million nights, approximately 26% of the total.
Tillväxtverket said that it was difficult to identify one explanation for the increase. The agency listed improved economic conditions, favourable weather and climate among the factors that may have contributed.
Preliminary figures for January to May 2026 indicate that overnight stays by French visitors increased by a further 15% compared with the same period of 2025.
The Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen, STF) has recorded a more stable overall picture. International travellers accounted for 19% of guests at its accommodation facilities this summer, unchanged from the previous year.
Within that total, however, the number of French guests increased by 20%, while visits from Spain rose by 49% during June and July. Both increases started from comparatively low levels.
Rural destinations are also attracting foreign visitors
The increase is not limited to Stockholm or Sweden’s largest tourism centres.
Södermanland recorded the strongest regional growth in foreign guest nights in 2025, with an increase of 29%. Västernorrland followed with a rise of 27%, according to Tillväxtverket.
Near Nyköping in Södermanland, Klas Stockman operates Hälgö Kajak and rents cabins in the Stendörren nature reserve. He said the business had received slightly more foreign customers this year, particularly from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.
During an especially hot period earlier in the summer, the company also welcomed visitors from Dubai.
Nature-based destinations may be particularly well placed to benefit from the search for cooler holidays. Areas such as the High Coast and the Stendörren archipelago combine lower temperatures with hiking, climbing, kayaking and access to forests and water.
This could help distribute international tourism beyond Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, while creating additional opportunities for rural accommodation providers and outdoor businesses.
However, the official figures require some caution. Tillväxtverket reported that a technical problem in the collection of 2024 statistics prevented the country of residence of some travellers from being recorded correctly. Part of the subsequent increase in foreign guest nights may therefore reflect better data classification rather than entirely new demand.
The available evidence does not yet show that European tourists are abandoning southern destinations in large numbers. It does indicate that Sweden’s milder summer climate is becoming a more visible reason for travelling north. If extreme heat continues to influence holiday planning, cooler Nordic destinations could gain a more prominent position in Europe’s summer tourism market.
