Tiffany Lo at the set of Everybody Hates Johan on the island of Froya (Image: Tiffany Lo)
Films and TV shows are transforming tourism habits without us noticing, but if we look at “The White Lotus” effect, you will find holidaymakers flocking to Italian seaside resorts for an immersive luxury getaway, or Emily in Paris fans queueing up at Boulangerie Moderne for a croissant selfie. This is a new trend of tourism and is known as “set-jetting”, and I get to experience that in Norway, a firsthand experience of what a salmon billionaire mogul’s daily life would be. Having the charms of Europe on our doorstep, Norwegian Air offers direct flights from London Gatwick to the capital of Viking, Trondheim, keeping travel well under three hours.
After that, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the coastal island of Hitra. Despite driving an electric Volkswagen, I felt a million bucks driving down Road 714, also known as the “Salmon Route”, there was no traffic but jagged mountain ridges and mirror-like lakes reflecting the sky.
The islanders are mostly local fishermen and farmers, or professionals returning from the city after retirement. They spend their afternoons or evenings at a local brygga restaurant, where they enjoy fresh-caught seafood along with a glass of Aquavit.
Here at Brygga Kvenvær, I tried the seasonal dishes – saltfiskballs, lamb stew with cabbage – as well as local delicacy, whale meat.
The riches in Norway are very down to earth, and they are not easy to spot. Instead of throwing a lavish lifestyle, some prefer a laid-back routine where they can connect with nature, and people like having a wellness cabin on the water.
I spent a night at a floating suite that is docked among uninhabited islets; it’s equipped with a glass ceiling and windows for an unobstructed view, a sauna, and a cold plunge for a holistic wellness experience.
Billionaire Island was filmed inside salmon firm SalMar (Image: Tiffany Lo)
Adjacent to Hitra is the island of Frøya, I visited the headquarters of SalMar, one of the world’s largest salmon producers. The location was used as the office of Marlax, a fictional salmon-farming company owned by Julie Lange, played by Trine Wiggen.
Mona Elisabeth Olsen Skarsvåg, cultural consultant in Frøya municipality, said this was the perfect example of how local business helped boost the island to international fame.
The Frøya shipwreck was also featured in the Netflix drama (Image: Tiffany Lo)
I was then invited to a local millionaire’s lair, which was used in the Netflix drama as the home of the fictional mogul’s daughter. Pretty much everything was kept as it was in the show; of course, there were more personal touches from the house owner. As I walked around the house, I remembered the details from the episodes where the actors were arguing in the house.
With the rise of social media, faraway locations like Hitra and Frøya are getting popular and the local tourism agency starts to notice “set-jetters” visiting on-screen locations. Near Stabben Fort, they put up a notice board in front of two pull-up bars explaining where it was featured in the dark comedy movie Everybody Hates Johan.
“Are you worried Frøya will become the next Taormina, where it turns into an overtourism hotspot?” I asked Mona. She smiled and said: “We welcome the tourists to come and explore our island. The more the merrier, we will be prepared.”
I was inside the ‘Billionaire Island’ house where the fictional character lives (Image: Tiffany Lo)
Similarly, big cities like Trondheim also welcome tourists to explore. There is more than just Christmas markets; as Norway’s largest university city, Trondheim was featured in wartime dramas and action movies like Troll 2. Film commissioner Solveig Sigmond Ræstad wanted to show a multi-faceted feature of the medieval city.
Just an hour and a half north of Trondheim is Stiklestad, one of Norway’s most important historical sites where Viking king Olav Haraldsson, who later became known as Saint Olav, was killed in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. To celebrate the upcoming National Jubilee in 2030, visitors are invited to explore the historic battlefield, the medieval farm Stiklastadir and Stiklestad Church.
