More Danes and Swedes travelled abroad during the summer holidays

Fewer than expected travelled abroad in the summer of 2021, and Danes and Swedes travelled significantly more than Norwegians and Finns. This is what appears from the statistics for the summer from the SOS International alarm centre for travel assistance.

The alarm centre for travel assistance which provides assistance and advice when Nordic travellers are injured or become ill abroad has processed a total of almost 12,500 enquiries in the period June-August 2021. This corresponds to approx. 30 percent of the case volume of a "regular" summer before corona.

- We have had fewer cases than expected. On the other hand, we have seen more complicated case management processes due to corona-related situations, says Karin Tranberg, EVP of Travelcare.

Read about the consequences of COVID-19 on working on repatriation here

Many enquiries to the alarm centre have related to COVID-19. For example, there has been a need for assistance in being tested at holiday destinations, dealing with COVID-19 infections, and advising on local restrictions.

- We have had many enquiries from travellers in need of assistance and guidance on testing, quarantines, and interpretation of local guidelines, says Karin Tranberg.

Read here how i.a. overbooked corona hotels have caused challenges here

What is in the crystal ball?
While late summer turns into autumn, Travelcare is now looking forward to another uncertain travel season. There is a big difference in how far the Nordic countries are with their respective vaccination programmes and Norway is currently experiencing widespread infection with the Delta variant. All conditions that make it difficult to predict the travel activity of the coming season:

- If there is one thing we have learned from the pandemic, it is that we have to come to terms with a high degree of unpredictability. We will see periods of increasing travel activity replaced by periods where activity decreases, says Karin Tranberg.

However, it is clear that SOS International does not expect extensive overseas travel activity in the autumn of 2021.

In addition, SOS International expects the economic consequences of the pandemic to become clearer in the coming period. Some countries have been under severe pressure and this is already reflected in rising prices for medical treatment. SOS International is dedicatedly to keep spending at an acceptable level, but some degree of medical inflation is expected.