HALMSTAD, Sweden, June 17, 2026, 00:04 CEST
- Halland’s summer survey found 76% of tourism businesses reporting an increase in international guests over the last three years.
- Laholm led Halland’s child litter-picking drive, reporting 30.2% of kids 1-16 as registered participants.
- Weather is still the top risk this summer, with over 60% of tourism firms in the survey naming it as their biggest worry.
Tourism players in Sweden’s Halland say they’re seeing more guests from abroad before the summer. Visit Halland said 76% of the companies in its Sommarbarometern survey reported a bigger international crowd in the last three years. Almost 70% expect the 2026 summer season to be good or very good.
Timing is key. Halland, a west-coast county that markets its beaches and outdoor activities, is looking to push an expected increase in international overnight stays after 2025 into a more consistent yearly trend. “Halland is becoming increasingly attractive beyond Sweden’s borders,” Jimmy Sandberg, head of Visit Halland, said in the region’s statement. Mynewsdesk
Foreign guest nights in Halland climbed 14.2% to 333,143 during May-August 2025, Visit Halland said, beating the Swedish average increase of 7.7%. Laholm posted a 7.2% jump in international guests and Hylte saw a 35% rise in the same period, according to the region.
Halland wants more than just busy July beaches. Visit Halland is spending 4.9 million Swedish crowns over two years to pull in more German visitors. The group says its goal is to double international guest nights by 2030. Sandberg also links the push to the Fehmarn Belt fixed link set for 2029, saying the faster travel times could help Halland’s tourism business.
Skräpplockardagarna clean-up pulls in 14,578 across Halland
Laholms Tidning said 14,578 people in Halland took part in this year’s Skräpplockardagarna, Sweden’s litter-picking push for youth. That included 12,650 children and 1,928 adults. Laholm stood out among Halland municipalities, with 30.2% of children ages 1-16 signed up, according to the paper. Laholms Tidning
Håll Sverige Rent reported 673,225 people joined in across the country this year, with 577,067 of them children. The group said the cleanup reached 7,325 schools and preschools plus over 400 other organizations. Participants collected 379 tonnes of litter from nature, according to the foundation.
Håll Sverige Rent’s deputy chief, Joakim Brodahl, said kids’ efforts matter “both here and now and over the longer term.” The group’s Laholm event listed 1,699 people taking part and said the town’s main clean-up week ran April 20-25. Via TT HSR
Halland is targeting foreign tourists with ads for its outdoor spaces, beaches and smaller cities. At the same time, schools and municipalities are working to clean those sites ahead of the busy visitor weeks. Håll Sverige Rent calls its campaign a mix of picking up litter and teaching why rubbish is a problem for animals, nature and society.
Halland is looking to get more attention in Sweden’s packed nature-tourism market. In February, Visit Sweden included Marsten, an island near Falkenberg in Halland, in the global “Your Swedish Island” push. The campaign also features islands in Stockholm County, Västerbotten and Västra Götaland, and targets mainly travelers from Germany, France and the Netherlands. Mynewsdesk
The summer is still exposed to risks outside local firms’ hands. Over 60% of companies in Visit Halland’s survey picked bad weather as the top problem, above economic worries or demand swings. “The weather is something we cannot control,” Sandberg said. Mynewsdesk
There’s a data warning too. Visit Halland says shifts in hotel booking systems and camp data may make some guest-night numbers hard to compare with previous years. Right now, the region has momentum. The question is whether more foreign bookings, tidier public areas and enough dry weather will make the season even better.
