Norway Responds to Trump's Insults with Toilet Tourism Campaign

Norway's tourism agency responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent insults by launching a campaign showcasing the country's toilets. The agency published a guide to 'some of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular toilets' following Trump's comment that Norway was a 'shithouse.'

Trump made the remark during a political rally in Michigan ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. This was not the first time he criticized Norway or the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Earlier this month, the peace prize was awarded to international jurist Navi Pillay, which prompted a rise in Trump's rhetoric against Norway.

Visit Norway, the state-run tourism agency, responded with a social media post that referenced Trump's comment. The post included a humorous take on the remark, stating, 'So, we heard some noise about 's...house country,' what can we say, we do have some of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular toilets.'

The toilets highlighted in the campaign are described as architectural marvels, with some having won international awards. For example, the free toilets at the Stegastein viewpoint overlook the Aurlandsfjord and feature a large window for views without compromising privacy. DesignCurial ranked this facility as the world's best public toilet in 2015.

Evgenia Egorova, Visit Norway's social media lead, confirmed the campaign was repurposed from previous work for World Toilet Day. She noted the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with the agency turning Trump's insult into a viral marketing opportunity.

The campaign also included the 'Gulldassen,' or Golden Toilet, on Senja Island, a popular rest stop for tourists. This follows a history of Trump's controversial interactions with art, including a golden toilet installed on the National Mall and a stolen 18-karat gold toilet displayed at Blenheim Palace.