Holiday house areas, 2015

In the high concentration holiday house area, 53 per cent of the holiday houses, i.e. 237 000, are in the size category scattered holiday house area, and make up the largest share of holiday houses. These are holiday houses that are located by themselves or in a small cluster with up to 4 buildings.

The share of scattered holiday house areas has fallen by two percentage points from 55 per cent in 2013 to 53 per cent in 2015. The reduction in the scattered holiday houses equates to over 7 000 buildings. The reason for this is that several new holiday houses are built close to a detached holiday house or small clusters of existing holiday houses, giving them 5 or more buildings, which means they are then classed as small holiday house areas.

Less than half of the current holiday houses, i.e. 47 per cent, are part of a high concentration holiday house area. This will mainly be areas that are well prepared and planned, and have a high utilisation.

The largest of the size categories is the small holiday house areas, consisting of 5 to 24 cabins, which constitutes 23 per cent of all holiday houses in 2015. Sixteen per cent of the total number of holiday houses are located in the large holiday house areas, with 50 or more cabins. However, it is the larger holiday areas that have seen the highest increase in the number of holiday houses from 2013 to 2015. This is probably because only a few new buildings in a size category, such as in a medium holiday house area, can result in all cottages in this area being classified as a large holiday house area.

Larger contiguous holiday house areas are characterised by a small share of scattered holiday houses

In the larger contiguous holiday house areas, an even mass of holiday houses are spread over large areas. The distance between holiday houses can be up to 500 metres. Outdoor activities, will, however, make up be a significant part of the land use and areas will probably often be considered “multi-use areas”.

A total of 340 000 holiday houses, 86 per cent, are located within one of the size categories small, medium or large holiday house areas. This means that less than 14 per cent of holiday houses in the larger contiguous holiday house areas are scattered holiday houses that are more than 500 metres from the nearest neighbour.

Within the larger contiguous areas, the size category large holiday house areas, consisting of 50 or more cabins, has the most holiday houses. This applies to 245 000 holiday houses, i.e. 54 per cent.

Size of holiday house areas

The total area of high concentration holiday house areas covers 661 km2. Compared to the area of corresponding holiday house area in 2013, which was just 588 km2, the area has increased by 74 km2 in 2015.

The scattered holiday house areas have the largest area, 270 km2, which corresponds to 41 per cent of the total area of high concentration holiday house areas. Compared to the percentage of scattered holiday house areas in 2013, which then amounted to 224 km2, there has been an increase of 3 percentage points.

The larger contiguous holiday house areas cover an area of 6 531 km2. Here it is the large holiday house areas, consisting of 50 or more cottages, that dominate with 3481 km2, equivalent to 53 per cent of the total area. The scattered holiday house areas make up the least area among the size categories.

The counties with the most holiday houses and largest holiday house area

As in 2013, Oppland and Buskerud are the counties with the most holiday houses in 2015, with 49 000 and 45 000.

When we look at the area of high concentration holiday house areas, these are the counties that constitute the largest area overall, with 81 and 74 km2 respectively. Oppland and Buskerud have the highest share of holiday houses in scattered holiday house areas or small holiday house areas. The area of these two types of holiday house size categories, corresponds to 64 and 61 per cent of the total area with holiday house areas in the respective counties.

For larger contiguous holiday house areas, the counties of Oppland, with in excess of 700 km2, and Buskerud, with 636 km2, also have the most area with holiday houses. However, in these areas it is the large holiday house areas with 50 or more buildings that take up most space out of all the size categories.

Chalets and summerhouses dominate

Among the different building types, it is chalets and summerhouses that dominate, making up 93 per cent of the total number of holiday houses. Detached houses used as a holiday house and farmhouses used as a holiday house constitute just 3 and 4 per cent each. Comparing 2015 with 2013, there are no changes.