Denmark sees record tourism, especially from Germany

Denmark has experienced a surge in tourism, reaching a record number of overnight stays in the first half of 2026. The country continues to be a particularly popular destination for German travelers.

According to Denmark's statistics office, hotels, holiday homes, and campsites welcomed a record number of tourists. While Danish citizens accounted for nearly half of the approximately 26 million overnight stays (compared to 25.5 million in 2025), German tourists made up the largest share of foreign visitors.

Between January and June 2026, German holidaymakers booked more than 7.5 million overnight stays, marking a slight increase from the roughly 7.4 million recorded in the first half of 2025. Lars Bertolt Winther, tourism director at the business association Dansk Industri, noted that tourists from Norway and Sweden are also returning to Denmark after several weaker years. Additionally, the Scandinavian country is seeing more visitors from the United States.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, statisticians anticipate a similar level of tourism as in 2025. However, bookings for July have shown an increase compared to the previous year. The Danish statistics office reported that this rise is primarily due to a 12 percent jump in bookings from German tourists, coinciding with the earlier start of summer holidays in many German federal states. This earlier start may also explain a potential decrease in bookings for August.

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Besides the German guests, who account for by far the largest share of foreign overnight stays, we can see that guests from Norway and Sweden are also finding their way back to Denmark after weaker years.