Norway's official tourist board has launched a lighthearted campaign highlighting the nation's most architecturally striking public restrooms, turning a derogatory remark by US President Donald Trump into a travel promotion. The response from Visit Norway came shortly after Trump insulted the nation during a campaign event.
Addressing a rally in Michigan ahead of the US midterm elections, Trump expressed frustration over failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize, turning his ire toward the Scandinavian nation. Declaring that Norway "sucks" and calling it a "shithouse country"—a term he has previously used when referring to Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen—Trump asserted that he would accept immigrants from certain nations, but not Norway, due to his Nobel snub.
Trump specifically condemned the decision to award the peace prize to Navi Pillay, a former judge on the International Criminal Court. Describing the selection as an "indelible stain on the country of Norway," Trump claimed he had never heard of Pillay, adding that the prize was "forever discredited" and warning that "we will not forget, Norway."
Responding to the tirade, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee rather than the Norwegian government or nation. Eide noted that Trump is well aware of this separation, adding that officials had reminded him of the fact.
Rather than taking offense, Visit Norway embraced toilet humor on its official website, publishing pictures of designer facilities with the headline, "Norway makes shit houses great again!" The agency asked visitors, "Are these the world's best shit houses?" and quipped that the public conveniences were "worth a visit, both when you really have to go – and when you don't."
The featured restrooms are situated along 18 designated scenic routes across the country. Visit Norway commissioned leading architects to transform standard wayside privies into standalone tourist attractions, several of which have secured international design accolades. Positioned near rushing rivers, foaming waterfalls, and sweeping vistas over fjords, the facilities invite travelers to enjoy the view regardless of whether they need to use the amenities.
Among the highlighted sites is the facility at the Stegastein viewpoint in western Norway's Sognefjord region. Recognized by the online design magazine DesignCurial as one of the 10 best public toilets in the world, the structure features minimalist lines and large, black-tinted glass windows that grant users expansive views of the fjord while maintaining complete privacy from the outside.
The promotion also features the wave-shaped Ureddplassen restroom along the wild coast of Helgeland in northern Norway, which several international publications have described as the world's most scenic loo. Other featured spots include a solar-powered modernist facility at the Utsikten viewpoint, the "Instagram-worthy" Tungeneset toilet—noted for looking impressive under the northern lights—and a triangular "golden toilet" located on Senja island.
Commenting on the strategy, Jens Kjeldsen, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen, told public broadcaster NRK that Visit Norway's approach was appropriate. Comparing the situation to dealing with a kindergarten bully, Kjeldsen observed that taking the insult too seriously would allow the bully to win.
Evgenia Egorova, a senior consultant at Visit Norway, reported an overwhelming response to the social media effort. Explaining the motivation behind the project, Egorova told NRK that the world needed a laugh and that the agency decided to counter the comments with kindness and humor.
Visit Norway indicated that additional stylized restrooms are currently planned, including a forest-inspired facility built with dried wood from more than 60 trees. Encouraging travelers to prepare for "the pit stop of your life," the agency signed off its campaign with a cheerful "Toodeloo!"
