Column: Leif Holmkvist

Petter Stordalen and Magnus Wikner stand in front of a Norwegian-branded press conference backdrop.

Petter Stordalen and Magnus Wikner from today’s press conference. Comment by Leif Holmkvist

Photo: Press

Stordalen's new power play: now the entire travel industry is being challenged

Norwegian's purchase of Ving is far more than a billion-kronor deal. By combining flights, hotels and package holidays, a Nordic travel group is being created with the strength to challenge competitors on several fronts - and with major opportunities to grow far beyond today's operations.

Leif Holmkvist Leif Holmkvist

Published 16 June 2026 - 12:57 Modified 17 June 2026 - 05:58

People in a pool beside a waterfront at sunset, with city skyline and warm reflections on the water.

Hotel Indigo opens in Stockholm - gets 232 rooms and a rooftop pool

IHG Hotels & Resorts is launching the Hotel Indigo brand in Sweden. The new hotel will be built in Kvarnholmen in Nacka and is scheduled to open in 2029.

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Stordalen's new power play: now the entire travel industry is being challenged

Norwegian buys Ving - creates Nordic travel giant

En familj går med en resväska genom en ljus flygplatsterminal bredvid stora fönster.

SAS ties insurance giant to EuroBonus - targets 40,000 new customers

SAS is expanding its EuroBonus loyalty programme through a new partnership with the insurance group Tryg. The partnership means that members in Sweden, Denmark and Norway can earn EuroBonus points on selected insurance policies from Trygg-Hansa and Tryg.

Person sitter vid flygplatsgate med fötterna på en resväska och ser ett plan lyfta.

New EU rules - hand luggage must be included in the ticket price

From 2027, both a personal bag and a piece of hand luggage must be included in the ticket price, something that risks hitting airlines’ revenue from ancillary services.

Fyra kvinnor sitter runt ett bord med mat och dryck i en restaurang.

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Tripadvisor sells The Fork in billion-pound deal

Tripadvisor is selling the restaurant platform The Fork to American Express for 700 million dollars, equivalent to approximately SEK 7 billion. The deal is one of the biggest strategic decisions the company has made in recent years and gives the group significant financial resources for future investments.

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Check Point: Fake booking sites increase ahead of summer

The number of fake websites posing as well-known booking services is increasing. That is according to cybersecurity company Check Point Research, which is seeing a sharp rise in cyberattacks targeting the travel and hotel industry.

En blond kvinna i mörk blazer står framför grönskande träd och buskar.

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Government investigates merger of Visit Sweden and the Swedish Institute

The government wants to review how Sweden is marketed internationally and is now appointing an inquiry to analyse whether parts of the Swedish Institute’s operations can be transferred to Visit Sweden.

Vy från ett flygplansfönster med en stor jetmotor och blå himmel ovanför vita moln.

Bonus points for sustainability engagement in SAS’s new programme

SAS is renaming its customer initiative "Conscious Traveler" to "Eurobonus Change Makers". The aim is to link the programme more clearly to the Eurobonus loyalty programme and make it easier for members to engage in the airline’s sustainability and development work.

EU-flaggor vajar framför glasbyggnader mot en klar blå himmel.

After 13 years of dispute: EU says no to the airlines

MEPs defend the right to compensation - but lose the battle over free hand luggage.

Smiling woman in a blazer stands beside a glowing circular sculpture on a dark blue background.

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Arctic Bath develops its spa after six years: “Now we know what guests are looking for”

After six years in operation, Arctic Bath in Norrbotten has gained a clearer picture of who its guests are and what they are looking for. These insights form the basis for the development of the spa - which also happens to coincide with a growing international interest in “viking wellness”.

Ett Air India-passagerarplan står på en flygplatsbana under klar himmel.

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Final report on the Air India crash delayed

The final accident report into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025 is expected to be delayed. The reason is that investigators' analysis of the aircraft's engines has not yet been completed, Reuters reports.

Solnedgång över havet med klippor, hus och molnig himmel i ett kustlandskap.

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The Canary Islands attract hotel investment of 4.2 billion euros

The Canary Islands have established themselves as Spain’s leading destination for hotel investment. Since 2019, hotel capital amounting to around 4.2 billion euros has been invested in the archipelago - more than in any other Spanish region.