A popular country in Europe has stopped a tourist campaign because it was too successful

Europe is experiencing a tourism boom, but there are still countries that are trying to attract tourists rather than limit their flow. And one such campaign was recently recognized as too successful and wrapped up early.

According to the Mirror, it is Norway, where the authorities tried to invite Europeans who are no longer welcome in Greece and Spain to come and explore the beauty of the local nature.

Allemansretten, also known as the right to roam or the right of everyone, is a key element in Scandinavian culture that gives everyone the right to camp, swim, ski, and hike freely in the wild, regardless of land ownership. It is enjoyed by Swedes and Norwegians alike. This is in stark contrast to the situation in most European countries, where many plots in rural areas are private and inaccessible.

Innovation Norway, a company owned by the Norwegian state, planned to "emphasize the part of Norwegian culture that is connected to the use of nature" by making outdoor activities the centerpiece of the campaign. It invited tourists to make the most of this right.

But this initiative had to be suspended. The burden on the environment turned out to be excessive. Stein Uwe Rolland, CEO of the Fjord Norway Tourism Board, expressed concern about this. "Of course we want visitors to enjoy our nature, but we prefer this to happen through well-organized sustainable offers provided by competent, experienced tourism companies," he said.

According to Rolland, the restrictive measures had to be introduced so that locals and visitors could enjoy the Norwegian nature for decades. "We believe that marketing outdoor activities to the growing international leisure and entertainment market can be risky, as it can lead to more people wanting to explore vulnerable natural areas on their own. This could cause damage to nature, increase the amount of litter, and potentially lead to accidents and rescue operations," the official added.

Dag Terje Klarp Solvang, Secretary General of the Norwegian Hiking Association, added that hiking can be a fairly environmentally friendly form of recreation. However, he warned that too many people without proper training can cause great harm to nature and local residents. In turn,  Aase Marthe Horrigmo from Innovation Norway emphasized: "It's important to encourage tourists to behave responsibly in the Norwegian outdoors. We also want to inspire people to visit our country and discover amazing experiences that will create memories for a lifetime."

Last year, it was reported that visitors to one of the most picturesque places in Norway were given garbage bags so that they could take their waste with them. In addition, local authorities are concerned that tourists take their dogs with them and then do not clean up after them. In Norway, the dog population is not very high, so tourists' pets do create problems for local residents.

Waste left by tourists began to be found in the gardens of Norwegian villagers just a few meters from hiking trails and even very close to rivers. Of course, this caused discontent. Currently, people are advised not to drink water from lakes, rivers, and streams in Ryten and Kvalvika on the Lofoten Islands because of the garbage problem.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.