Hospitality Ecosystem Nordics (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland)

Hospitality Ecosystem

1. Startups

Hospitality & Travel Tech

• Landfolk (Denmark): A curated vacation rental platform founded by former Airbnb employees. Operating in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and France.
• Booknordics (Norway): An online marketplace offering over 3,000 quality-assured and handpicked adventures across the Nordic region.
• Donkey Republic (Denmark): A purpose-driven impact company active in the micro-mobility industry.
• Nordic Travel Group (Iceland): Wild Campers Iceland, Nordic Car Rental and Holiday Tours Iceland.
• Nordic Tourism Collective: Independent, not-for-profit membership network for the Nordic travel and tourism industry.
• Minut (Sweden): Helps operators to stay one step ahead of issues like smoking, noise and mold.

Restaurant Tech

• Caspeco (Sweden) – Provides restaurant management software including POS systems, bookings, staffing and analytics.
• Huuva (Finland) – Shared kitchen spaces for restaurants, enabling expansion through food delivery without opening new locations.

Global hospitality & travel startups.

2. Companies

Hotel Chains & Groups

• Scandic Hotels. The largest hotel operator in the Nordic region, Scandic Hotels boasts a significant presence across Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway.
• Nordic Choice Hotels. A major player in the Nordic hotel industry, offering a diverse range of accommodations.
• Nordic Hotels & Resorts. The largest collection of independent hotels in the Nordics, ranging from city hotels to mountain retreats.
• Strawberry. A hospitality group with over 250 hotels across the Nordics, offering a variety of experiences.
• Thon Hotels. A Norwegian hotel chain with a strong presence in Norway and Sweden, known for its quality service.
• Elite Hotels. A Swedish hotel chain offering upscale accommodations in major cities.
• First Hotels. A Nordic hotel chain with properties in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, focusing on comfort and quality.
• Sokos Hotels. A Finnish hotel chain with a wide range of properties across Finland and the Baltics.

Technology Leaders

• Visit Group. Building a digital ecosystem for the travel and hospitality industry.
• Etraveli Group. A flight technology provider, specializing in flight sales and offering flight content delivery.
• Wolt Oy (Finland) – Food delivery platform connecting restaurants with customers efficiently across Nordic countries.

Global hospitality companies and brands.

3. Investors

• Heartcore Capital: Based in Copenhagen, Heartcore Capital specializes in early-stage investments in technology-driven companies. Notably, they co-led a Series A funding round for Fora, a tech-forward travel agency, raising $13.5 million to enhance its platform and support its community of advisors.
• Nordic Capital: A leading private equity investor, Nordic Capital focuses on developing successful market-leading businesses.
• Hospitality Invest: Originating in Oslo, Hospitality Invest is a privately owned investment company engaged in acquiring and operating properties in Norway and Sweden.
• Almi Invest: Almi Invest is Sweden's most active early-stage investor, providing funding to startups and small businesses across the country.
• EQT Group & Ventures: EQT Group is a global investment organization with a strong presence in the Nordic region.
• Infranode: Infranode invests responsibly and long-term in essential infrastructure in the Nordic region.
• Nordic Foodtech VC: Nordic Foodtech VC invests in startups across the Nordic and Baltic regions, including Iceland.
• Other investors: Etraveli Group (Sweden), Verdane (Norway), Kinnevik (Sweden), VNV Global AB (Sweden), Northzone (Norway), Creandum (Sweden).

Global hospitality and travel investors.

4. Accelerators

• Nordic Travel Tech Lab:(Norway) –  A network connecting startups, the industry, investors, and public organizations.
• XNordic Travel Contest – An initiative that maps tourism and travel-related startups across the Nordics.
• Accelerace (Denmark) – One of the largest accelerators in Denmark, supports startups across various industries.
• Copenhagen Capacity – Offers support and programs for tourism and hospitality startups in Copenhagen.
• Vækstfonden / Danish Growth Fund – Occasionally runs programs and investment support for travel-related startups.
• Katapult Accelerator (Norway) – Focuses on impact-driven startups, including those in tourism and hospitality.
• Startup Norway – Runs various accelerators and programs that occasionally target travel and tourism tech.
• Innovation Norway – Provides grants, loans, and accelerator support to startups in the tourism and hospitality sector.
• SUP46 (Start-Up People of Sweden) – Has programs supporting hospitality and travel tech startups.
• Stockholm Business Region – Offers programs and connections for travel and tourism startups.
• Sting – Stockholm-based accelerator supporting various sectors including travel tech.
• Kiuas Accelerator (Finland) – Focuses on growth-stage startups, including tourism-related ones.
• Maria 01 (Finland) – A startup campus in Helsinki with programs that support travel and hospitality tech companies.
• Business Finland – Runs funding and acceleration programs for innovative startups in tourism and hospitality.
• Startup Reykjavik – Offers acceleration for early-stage startups including travel and tourism
• Innovation Center Iceland – Supports startups in multiple sectors, including tourism tech.
• The Icelandic Tourism Innovation Center – Focused on innovation in the travel and hospitality industry.

• Domits Hospitality Accelerator.

Global hospitality accelerators.

5. People 

• Petter Stordalen. Founder and CEO of Strawberry Group. Prominent Norwegian hotelier and entrepreneur.
• Stina Karlsson. As the hotel director of Eilert Smith Hotel in Stavanger. Led the property to a Michelin Key distinction.
• Henrik Berghult. Chief Operating Officer at Nordic Hotels & Resorts. Plays a pivotal role in overseeing operations across the group's extensive portfolio of hotels.
• Kai Pasma. Vice President of Hotel Operations at Nordic Hotels & Resorts, Kai Pasma brings a wealth of experience in both operational roles and destination development.
• Richard Nodder. With over 18 years in the incoming tourism industry, Richard Nodder has worked with companies like Unique North Incoming and Nordic Tours in Aarhus.
• Ásberg Jónsson. CEO and Owner of Nordic Visitor. Expanded the Icelandic travel agency with offices in Norway and Sweden.
• Per-Arne Tuftin and Per Arne Friestad. Co-founders of Nordic Traveltech Lab.

Global hospitality people.

6. Events

• Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research. Green Solution House, Rønne, Bornholm. Academic research and practical insights into tourism and hospitality, including technology, sustainability, and visitor experience.
• Juniper Tech Club Nordics. Oslo, Norway. Innovation, networking, and technical expertise in the tech industry.
• OpenText Summit Nordics. Vasagatan 28, Stockholm, Sweden. Exploring how AI, security, and cloud technologies are transforming information management.

Global hospitality events.

7. Schools

• Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College. Offers a 3-year BA (Hons) in International Tourism and Hospitality Management. The program emphasizes sustainability and industry collaboration, preparing students for dynamic careers in tourism and hospitality
• Aarhus University (Denmark). Provides a Bachelor's degree in International Hospitality Management, combining academic studies with practical experience through internships, focusing on hospitality and tourism business management
• University of Stavanger (Norway). Ranked among the top universities in Europe for Hospitality and Hotel Management, offering comprehensive programs in service management and tourism
• University of Bergen (Norway). Offers programs in hospitality and hotel management, providing a strong academic foundation for careers in the tourism industry
• University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (UiT). Provides programs in hospitality and hotel management, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities in Arctic tourism
• Dalarna University (Sweden). Offers a Bachelor's degree in International Tourism Management and a Master's in Tourism Destination Development, focusing on sustainable tourism practices
• Lund University (Sweden). Provides an MSc in Tourism Development and Culture, an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree program, offering in-depth insights into tourism development and culture
• Södertörn University (Sweden). Offers programs in Hospitality Management, focusing on urban tourism, hospitality management, and sustainable destinations
• Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences - SeAMK (Finland). Offers a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, focusing on practical skills and industry collaboration .
• Lapland University of Applied Sciences. Provides a program in Hospitality Management with a focus on tourism, emphasizing the unique aspects of Arctic and nature-based tourism
• South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK). Offers a Bachelor's degree in Tourism and Hospitality Business, focusing on sustainable tourism practices and business management
• University of Iceland. Provides programs in tourism and hospitality management, focusing on sustainable tourism practices and the unique Icelandic tourism industry.
• Reykjavik University. Offers programs in business and tourism, emphasizing innovation and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector.

Global hospitality schools.

8. Hubs

• Copenhagen: Home to Tryp.com, a Denmark-based online travel agency that leverages artificial intelligence to create optimized multi-destination itineraries. Its platform combines flights, hotels, trains, buses, and attractions into affordable and personalized travel packages, catering largely to younger travelers.
• Oslo: Hosts Fast Travel, a technology company specializing in taxi management solutions, particularly in high-traffic areas such as airports and train stations.
• Uppsala: The headquarters of Etraveli Group, a leading travel technology company operating several online travel agencies and metasearch engines.
  Wikipedia
• Stockholm: Known for OpenGeeksLab, a travel software company driving innovation in Scandinavian tourism.
• Helsinki: A growing hub for travel tech startups, benefiting from Finland's strong emphasis on innovation and digital infrastructure.
• Reykjavik: While smaller in scale, Iceland's capital is home to several boutique travel agencies and startups focusing on sustainable and experiential tourism.

Global hospitality hubs.

9. Government

• Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM): The intergovernmental body for cooperation among Nordic countries, including tourism policy development.
• Nordic Tourism Working Group (NTWG): Coordinates tourism initiatives across the Nordic region, focusing on sustainable growth and innovation. 
• Tourism in the Nordics: A Nordic Innovation program facilitating cross-border collaboration on sustainable tourism practices.
• VisitDenmark: The national tourism board, responsible for promoting Denmark as a travel destination.
• Innovation Fund Denmark: Supports innovation in tourism through funding and partnerships.
• Innovation Norway: The national tourism agency, which promotes Norway as a travel destination and supports sustainable tourism initiatives.
• Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries: Oversees tourism policy and regulation.
• Visit Sweden: The national tourism organization, responsible for marketing Sweden internationally.
• Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket): Supports regional development and sustainable tourism projects.
• Visit Finland: The national tourism board, promoting Finland's tourism offerings.
• Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment: Oversees tourism policy and development.
• Visit Iceland: The national tourism agency, responsible for promoting Iceland as a travel destination.
• Icelandic Ministry of Industries and Innovation: Oversees tourism policy and sustainable development.

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