Other areas of culture
Museums and art galleries in the Öresund region have over 7 million visitors per year. In relation to the number of inhabitants, this corresponds to two visits per year per inhabitant. This in turn corresponds to the average for Denmark and Sweden. However, the number of visits in Stockholm County is twice as high. About 2 million visits to the theatre are made in the Öresund region each year. In the Capital Region of Denmark, the figure is nearly one visit per inhabitant, while in Öresund SE the figure is only 0.3 visits. Even if Danes and Swedes alike go about as often to the theatre, the combined inhabitants in the Öresund region go to the theatre somewhat less often than those in Stockholm County. Danes go to the cinema a bit more often than Swedes. With somewhat more than 8 million visits to the cinema, the Öresund region is at the same level as Stockholm County.
The number of book releases in both Denmark and Sweden is about 2.5 per 1 000 inhabitants, but the Swedes buy more newspapers than the Danes. As a comparison, per 1 000 inhabitants, Sweden distributes 361 newspapers and periodicals, while Denmark distributes 212 of the same (this does not include free-of-charge periodicals). As for library visits, Danes borrow more books than Swedes, since each Dane borrows nine books per year at the library, compared to six loans per Swede. Public libraries in the Öresund region lend 32 million books annually, and each inhabitant in the region borrows an average of 9 books. This is considerably more than the five books that are borrowed per inhabitant in Stockholm County.
- Public library use by population in 2008
Source: Danish Agency for Libraries and Media (DK) and National Public Art Council (SE)
- Culture activities of the population 2008
Source: Statistics Denmark and National Public Art Council. The presented years for theatres (SE) are 2006 and for cinemas (DK) 2007.
Satisfaction
Eurostat’s surveys on satisfaction of inhabitants shows that inhabitants in the Copenhagen area are very satisfied with cultural life, while they are dissatisfied with the variety of sports activities. Those living in Malmö are especially satisfied with the green areas. Inhabitants in the two cities are generally as equally satisfied with the selection of cultural activities as inhabitants in other northern European cities.
- Inhabitants’ satisfaction with cultural facilities etc. 2006 (Index max=100)
Source: Urban Audit 2007
Tourism
In 2008, some 10 million overnight stays were made at hotels (with at least 40 beds) in the Öresund region. Despite its relatively small area in terms of geography, the Öresund region accounts for 23 percent of all overnight stays in Denmark and Sweden. 7.3 million overnight stays were made in Öresund DK (with a slightly lower figure of 700 00 Swedish guests) which can be compared to 2.7 million overnight stays in Öresund SE (with a rather growing but still modest figure of about 100 000 Danish guests). Since 2000 the number of overnight stays in Sweden has risen by 20 percent, while the corresponding figure in Denmark is 11 percent. The Öresund region has had 17 percent more overnight stays, but the increase only affects the number of domestic guests. About one third of the overnight stays in the Öresund region are made by guests from countries other than Denmark and Sweden. Seen from a total perspective from 2000 to 2008, the region has lost 9 percent of the tourist market outside of Europe, and the increase from the rest of Europe is modest. The non-existent increase of international visitors has hit the Copenhagen area in particular. The region has over 68 000 beds, of which 24 000 are in the Copenhagen area (6). Hotel capacity has increased sharply since 2000, particularly in the Danish part and in Copenhagen where the number of beds has increased by 50 percent.
An exception to the stagnation of international tourism is the number of cruise tourists. In just eight years the number of cruise passengers has tripled and Copenhagen is the largest harbour for cruises in the Baltic Sea. In 2009, the metropolis of the Öresund region Copenhagen had 620 000 cruise passengers, of whom half went ashore or on board. Cruise passengers generate a turnover of EUR 130 000 000 (7).
Even as an international conference city, Copenhagen places very well, most recently as the host for the climate summit meeting COP15 in December 2009. Although about one hundred conferences are held each year in the city, Copenhagen has hard competition from East Europe and Asia; in 2007 the city fell from 6th place in 2004 to 23rd place (8).
(6) Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden.
(7) Wonderful Copenhagen
(8) The account of conferences includes arrangements that last at least three days with at least 300 participants, of whom at least 40 percent are from abroad and at least five nationalities are represented. Source: Mandag Morgen 2008, 44 and Union of International Associations.
