Sweden’s Höga Kusten, which translates to High Coast, is a tourist destination in northern Sweden with hikers in mind.
Situated on the Gulf of Bothnia, about 300km north of the capital, Stockholm, it includes the 140km High Coast Trail and the 100km World Heritage Trail, which can be combined into one long trail. It also includes many hikes, the Skuleskogen National Park, and 112 nature reserves.
The regions was busy in 2024; it was the third best year for guest nights, with a total of 655,437 guest nights recorded.
In recent years, the region has become one of Sweden’s fastest growing destinations with a steady increase in guest nights. Accommodation revenues have also increased since 2019.
“Looking at nearby destinations, some have increased and others testify to a small drop. Västernorrland has decreased by 2%, but Sweden as a country shows a small increase of 0.7%. High Coast accommodation revenues have increased by about 35% since 2019, which is in line with our strategy of doubled turnover,” said Mattias Peterson, CEO of Höga Kusten Destination Development.
Anna Hellgren, executive director of the High Coast Tourism’s partner company, sees reasons for positivity in the coming years, not least through the newly started travel agency for groups that tailor experiences in the High Coast.
“Many come for our nature, but the cultural offering is increasing and attracting guests to come and stay overnight. Just take the Bygdespel in Lövvik, Naturscen Skuleberget and during the winter we have the award-winning Mittrevyn in Härnösand that attracts large audiences. Add to that we develop our taste experiences spiced up with locally produced drinks such as High Coast Whisky and Hernö gin, which in themselves are attractions,” she said.
With recent additional financial resources, planning is under way for a variety of strategic initiatives that benefit the destination in the short and long term. “It is now important to grow with care and create an even greater range. We are in an expansion phase with several long-awaited ventures that will lift our place even more. Hernö Gin Hotel just opened its doors and in the summer Huttopia opens a restaurant at Smitingen, the opening of their campsite is planned for summer 2026. Lövvik is increasingly expanding with a holiday village, camping and an outdoor scene whose performances attract both bus groups, visitors and locals. North of Örnsköldsvik, in Salusand, the campsite has been renovated and there is a newly-built year-round restaurant. Larger investments are also being made in the area around Docksta. There are many exciting initiatives to take place that will allow us to raise the High Coast one more level,” Peterson said.
