Following a record year, they’re betting on even more tourism in Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown, but it can’t turn into another Barcelona or Venice.

Tourists are flocking here, but we don’t want it turning into Barcelona or Venice

H.C. Andersen’s House in Odense was designed by Japan’s Kengo Kuma along with Danish firms Cornelius + Vöge and Masu Planning. The museum opened in 2021 and is one of the city’s major tourist attractions. Foto: Finn Frandsen

2025 was a record year in Odense, where the city surpassed 600,000 official overnight stays for the first time ever. This marks an 8 percent increase from 2024 and a significant 23.5 percent rise from 2019 – the year before the global tourism industry came to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Trine Spliid Bech, acting head of Growth & Tourism at Odense Municipality, the record reflects the sum of everything Odense offers its visitors.

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Tourists are flocking here, but we don’t want it turning into Barcelona or Venice

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