Foreign tourists cause headaches for DNT: 50,000 new members in 2025

Foreign tourists cause headaches – have to close cabins and change membership rules

DNT closes cabins and terminates Nordic agreement after increasing mass tourism and abuse of membership.

In Lofoten, increased use of the Tourist Association’s cabins, especially by foreign tourists, has led to vandalism and break-ins.

This has led to the cabin Munkebu being closed for the summer.

Locals use the cabins to a small extent, as much of the tour experience is ruined, which makes it difficult to maintain voluntary operation.

– The business of DNT is based on volunteering, but now we see that mass tourism with foreign visitors is taking over and that few locals make use of the offer. It is a challenge.

That’s what Arnulf Sørum, Northern Norway’s representative on DNT’s national board, says.

Sørum has noticed how, in recent years, foreign tourists have taken advantage of the Norwegian tourist association cabins to get cheap accommodation during their holidays.

They register with the Swedish Tourist Association even if they are hiking in Norway. That way, they get cheaper membership and can stay cheap in the cabins in Norway.

So far this year, DNT has registered close to 50,000 new members. Over 8,600 of these have a foreign residential address.

This is 19.5 per cent higher this year compared to the same time last year.

Now the neighbors from Sweden and Finland have to join DNT if they want to walk from cabin to cabin and pay the membership price that applies in Norway.

– Now there will be even more foreign members. They are welcome, but there are some dilemmas that we at DNT must find solutions for in the future.

Closes cabin after mass tourism

And one of the dilemmas is mass tourism.

In Lofoten, the tour team has long known about the increasing tourism. Leader Siri Nordbø has this summer had to make a slightly unconventional choice.

Almost no locals use our cabins anymore, only tourists. As volunteers, we do not have the capacity to clean up and maintain after them. That was not why we built the cabins, she says.

Lofoten Tour Team has three cabins. Now Nordbø and the board must find out whether they should be open or closed.

– But isn’t it nice that people from abroad make use of them and use nature?

– Yes, you can say that, but our cabins are so close to the road that there is no reason to stay there to save your life or not have to walk another five hours. Our volunteers must spend their time working for our members, says Nordbø, who adds that they have experienced break-ins and vandalism at Munkebu several times during periods when it has been closed, at least once by a tourist who was angry that he was not allowed to spend the night.

Tor Kåpvik, acting general secretary of the Norwegian Tourist Association, says they are careful about advertising the offers to an international audience.