Tourism surges on Denmark’s west coast but fishing town resists becoming just a resort

Thyborøn, a fishing town of 1,719 residents in Lemvig Municipality, is seeing a sharp rise in summer visitors, with cafés and shops on its harbour thriving as tourists flood in, DR reports.

Last year the entire west coast recorded nearly 17 million tourist overnight stays, up 3.5 million since 2017, according to VisitDenmark. Thyborøn has contributed to that growth, and locals broadly welcome the boom they have worked to create.

Yet there is caution. “We focus heavily on ensuring this doesn’t get out of hand and turn into another Mallorca,” says Sheila Smed, a local shopkeeper and board member of Lemvig-Thyborøn Trade & Tourism. “Thyborøn is, after all, for the people who live here.”

The port remains central to the town’s identity. Despite the tourism surge, it set a turnover record in 2025 and is still Denmark’s second-largest fishing harbour.

Overcrowding fears are real. In Søndervig, further down the coast, one in six residents now say tourist numbers have grown too high. Estate agent Lars Lyng notes more buyers are moving north to Lemvig Municipality to escape what they see as overdevelopment in Søndervig. “It’s become like Dahlgaard’s Tivoli down there,” he says.

In Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, home to Søndervig, overnight stays jumped from four to five million in five years, propelling the area’s retail sector to the top of national growth rankings. Mayor Lone Andersen acknowledges the pace has been rapid. “It won’t continue at this speed. We need balance between use and protection—for nature, for locals, and for businesses,” she says.

Lemvig Municipality, smaller but approaching a million annual overnight stays, is also expanding its summer appeal. Yet Mayor Jens Lønberg insists growth must be managed. “We want more tourists if the area can handle it, but we constantly monitor capacity—summer house development, zoning. We won’t let tourists overshadow local life,” he says.

Niels Brøker, a Holstebro resident, recently bought a summer house just south of Thyborøn after finding Hvide Sande and Søndervig too crowded and expensive. “There are simply too many people,” he explains.