Scenic tourism

The unique coastal landscape with deep fjords, rich salmon rivers, waterfalls and glaciers, together with the midnight sun in the north, stimulated the growth of a significant sea-based tourist industry long before the modern service society. The seasonal tourist invasions started with the British (1860s), then the Germans (1890s), and later other foreigners.

Foreign tourist steamships visited the fjords and the North Cape, and Norwegian local and coastal steamer routes connected with the same tourist destinations. A number of tourist hotels – some of them spectacular – were raised at strategic places along the fjords. Tours by carriole in the grand style were organized from the hotels or landing wharves to the most important sights. Staging posts sprang up along the longer routes, along with hotels, restaurants, and other tourist-related businesses in many of the towns. In the most recent decades a significant and varied tourist industry has developed along the coast.

Opportunities for experiences in the wild, sport fishing, and general recreation have in many places become a more important resource than the traditional coastal industries. To a large extent the old industrial buildings have also been turned into overnight accommodation for travellers. Caption 1: Ocean kayaking. Coast adventure for the energetic. Photo: Julie Skadal.
 
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