Odense’s largest attraction is heading to the Olympic Games in Paris

H.C. Andersen House will temporarily set up camp on the Champs-Élysées together with Destination Fyn, which has been selected as one of six destinations for Denmark’s promotional showcase at The Denmark House. The showcase aligns closely with Odense’s ambitious tourism goals for internationalisation and destination marketing.

When Olympic fever hits Paris in July, visitors and journalists will have the chance to get to know Odense and Funen better. In fact, they may even fall in love with H.C. Andersen’s hometown, as the Danish pavilion presents a total of six Danish destinations under the heading “The Land of Everyday Wonder”.

H.C. Andersen on the Champs-Élysées

The showcase in the Danish pavilion has been created to promote Danish areas of excellence to a wide audience during the Olympic Games. Here, the many international guests will, among other things, get a taste of the H.C. Andersen House experience in a specially designed destination corner, where they will encounter a film from the museum’s exhibition.

H.C. Andersen House is one of Denmark’s largest international attractions and is expected to inspire many Olympic guests to later pay a visit to the heart of Odense, where the museum is normally based. Guests will also be introduced to many of the other exciting experiences around Funen that they can add to their visit.

VisitDenmark is leading the showcase together with the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. It is supported by, among others, the philanthropic association Realdania and Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorck’s Fond, and is carried out with funding from The Trade Council.

The Danish pavilion will promote Danish strongholds and will be set up at The Denmark House and the Danish Church on the Champs-Élysées. The pavilion is expected to attract 75,000 French and international visitors during the Olympic Games. At the same time, a large number of Danish, French and other international journalists are expected to stop by, meaning that Odense and Funen will meet a major international audience on the Olympic stage.

Meeting visitors where they are

Odense Municipality and Destination Fyn are working strategically to promote tourism in Odense and across Funen and the Islands, with an increased focus on areas such as internationalisation and digitalisation. These efforts have already produced strong results. For example, Odense’s attractions welcomed more than 1 million visitors in 2023, and in recent years media such as The New York Times, Vogue and Forbes have highlighted the destination as a must-see attraction. Overall, Funen has reached more than 4 million overnight stays.

Part of the tourism strategy has also been to meet visitors where they are, whether physically or digitally. The presence during the Olympic Games in Paris is a very good example of this.

Peter Rahbæk Juel, Mayor of Odense, says:

The Danish pavilion was created by the architects Briq and Lendager and can be experienced at The Denmark House on the Champs-Élysées from 26 July to 11 August. Under the theme of quality of life, the pavilion will focus on areas such as green transition, health, food and design.