It was the summer the old towns never went to sleep. Between June and the end of August, hotels, guesthouses and short-term rentals across the country recorded 9.6 million overnight stays, 14 percent more than last year and the highest figure ever measured, according to tourism ministry data seen by News. before its official release.
In the video, our reporter walks through Riverton’s old town square on a warm August evening, where cafe tables spill across the cobblestones until well past midnight and string lights hang between the old merchant houses. Owners describe a season without a single quiet week.
Where the growth came from
The figures show that the boom was far from evenly spread. Riverton and Port Alden together accounted for more than half of all new overnight stays. Foreign visitors drove most of the increase, up 21 percent, helped by new direct flights and a cruise season that brought 46 ships into Port Alden’s harbor, eleven more than last year.
Domestic tourism grew far more slowly, by just 4 percent. The ministry’s internal analysis points to one reason: average room prices in the capital rose by 17 percent over the summer, pricing out many families from other regions.
We had guests from twenty countries at our tables in a single evening. But I saw fewer families from Northvale or Westmoor than before.
Ana Petrović, owner of a cafe on the old town square
A season that does not end
For the first time, the busy season did not stop at the end of August. Bookings for September and October are 30 percent above last year, and several hotels in the old town report occupancy above 90 percent well into autumn. Tour operators credit city breaks, conferences and the new air routes.
Comments 2
Good piece. Nobody ever talks about the people who actually live above those cafes.
Prices in the old town are wild now. We went to Lakeshore instead this summer and loved it.