How World Cup star Haaland helped put Norway on the map with China’s tourists

As Norwegian World Cup footballer Erling Haaland’s herbal drink advertising blitz captivates millions, his home country has emerged as a popular destination for Chinese travellers.

An increasing number of Chinese citizens have visited Norway over the past two years, with interest surging during this summer’s international football competition.

The draw was largely Norway’s scenic allure, but in recent weeks Haaland’s social-media stagecraft had amplified the appeal, tourism professionals said.

“Haaland’s popularity appears to have increased Chinese interest in Norway, particularly among younger travellers and football fans,” said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

The sparsely populated Nordic country recorded about 392,000 overnight stays from China last year and nearly 220,000 in 2024, more than double the 2023 total, according to statistics compiled by the trade representative office Innovation Norway.

China ranked as the Scandinavian country’s second-largest source of non-European inbound tourists last year, behind only the United States.