The Borgen effect

Our resident PR blogger discovers she isn’t the only one who’s been seduced by the deadly delights of Denmark…

“I went on holiday to Denmark last year. I wasn’t intending to. The idea crept up on me when I was thinking less about holidays and more about murder.

Not my own murderous intent, of course, but the case of Nanna Birk Larsen, the fictional victim in The Killing. And as I sat glued to consecutive box sets of The Bridge and Borgen, what seemed a crazy idea became an Amazon search for a Lonely Planet guide and a debate about Odense vs Aarhus with my one half-Danish friend.

But it seems I am not alone. Visit Denmark’s statistics show an increase of 26% in UK visitors since 2010. That’s pretty impressive for a country with an expensive reputation during an economic crisis. So what’s going on?

The tourist board thinks I am typical. Kathrine Lind Gustavussen at VisitDenmark, told me: “The number of nights spent by UK visitors in Denmark has soared in recent years. This is in part thanks to the huge success of Danish TV series The Killing, Borgen and The Bridge (Denmark’s finest current export!).”

Move over Carlsberg.

So how come these grisly dramas are attracting holidaymakers? They don’t exactly view like a tourism promotion video. It’s always raining and people get killed. A lot.

The exposure from these shows has brought the destination front of mind, of course, but they also showcase a culture and lifestyle which is both intriguing and attractive to us. There are strong female leads, striking architecture and design (both in the locations and within the characters’ homes), bleak, beautiful beaches and dense, mystical forests. And, forgive me for mentioning, quite a lot of sex. Denmark may not have benefited from a big shouty ad campaign, but the subliminal triggers within these shows add up to a quietly impressive picture of a great place to visit.

So what will 2014 have in store for Danish tourism? I read this headline on the Guardian website. British TV goes Nordic noir : Midsomer Murders is heading to Copenhagen for its 100th episode.

Well, if that doesn’t take the destination into the mainstream, nothing will. Watch out Denmark – chief inspector Barnaby and large swathes of Middle England are on their way…”