Offline dating retreat leaves Søren open to new romance

Sixteen hopeful singles met at a holiday home in Ebeltoft last week to date without mobile phones. Søren Blankholm was one of them, DR reports.

The participants spent three days getting to know one another through activities including football golf, beer tasting and a formal dinner. The dating concept was created by two women for singles aged 25 to 35 who want to meet in person rather than rely on swipes and quick first impressions.

The idea was inspired by DR’s “Hotel Romantik”, in which older people are sent to a hotel to explore romance. In this version, the hotel in Spain has been replaced by a holiday home, and the participants were not filmed for a television programme.

Blankholm said he enjoyed dating without a phone because everyone was clear about why they were there.

“It was great to get out and meet people with the cards on the table from the start. We all knew why we were there,” he said.

While he appreciated the planned activities, Blankholm said the quieter moments were just as important. Cooking and other everyday tasks gave the participants an opportunity to see more of one another, he said.

He left Ebeltoft feeling more confident about meeting people face to face rather than through a screen.

“I definitely left with more courage and a feeling that it is not so dangerous after all. You should take more chances in real life. It is simply much better than being behind a screen,” he said.

More singles set to take part

Whether Blankholm found love will be revealed later. He said he was interested in seeing some of the participants again, although he did not yet have any dates in his calendar.

“My curiosity has definitely been awakened. Whether it is the great love, time will tell,” he said.

Organiser Anne Bjerg Pedersen said the first retreat had gone better than expected. She selected the 16 singles in the hope that they might be a match and potentially find lasting love.

“They are such wonderful young people who have really wanted to learn more about one another, and they all came for the same reason. I think they are enormously brave,” she said.

A new group of singles is due to move into the holiday home in Ebeltoft on September 20.