If you’re a Norwegian – a Northern Norwegian in particular – and think you’re seeing more and more Chinese tourists around, you’re right.
China comes to Norway
A tourist perspectiveNorway was on the list of top ‘viral’ destinations for 2025, according to digital marketing agency Dragon Trail, which noted that, when they go
international, Chinese tourists are on the hunt for unique experiences – such as a once-in-a lifetime Northern Lights experience or a luxury
seafood meal in the Polar North.
Data from Chinese online travel agency Qunar, which releases travel data around big holidays, showed that over Chinese New Year 2025, Norway was the country with the third-highest levels of year on-year growth in air ticket sales.
Highest YoY growth in air ticket sales
Where do these consumers look for travel information and inspiration? For many, it is online, using apps like RedNote – or Xiaohongshu – in Chinese.
In Dragon Trail’s spring consumer survey, RedNote was second only to Ctrip as a source of outbound travel destination information, and it was the top information source for travellers under the age of 35.
Chinese visitors share what they eat, bring home and post online
What have we done
‘This is our first day in Tromsø and we’re going to eat at Dragøy. We saw it on social media in China, on an app called RedNote. And we’re going for the king crab. Tonight, we are going to watch the northern lights’
What we ate
‘We came to Norway for the northern lights and other experiences that we can’t get at home. Seafood isn’t a reason to come here but if you’re a seafood lover then it’s definitely appealing. What have we had already? Salmon and tuna sushi’
Sharing
‘How would we describe the trip to people back home? We have shared photos on WeChat for family and they’ve really had a lot of likes. People have asked if we can be their tour guides!
Souvenirs
‘We’re taking home keyrings, postcards, some reindeer fur – and I bought some Omega-3 capsules as well!’
"We’re taking home keyrings, postcards, some reindeer fur – and I bought some Omega-3 capsules as well!"
An Omega-3 boom
This last comment from a Chinese tourist chatting on the streets of Tromsø represents another area where health and seafood are coming together – or at least seafood-adjacent products.
As well as finding Omega-3 products at Norwegian duty free, influencers have been using apps like TikTok and WeChat to promote and sell cod liver oil and Omega-3 products to Chinese consumers.
In 2023, Lofotposten published a story highlighting how influencers had sold more than 11,000 bottles of cod liver oil from their hotel rooms.