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Travel Tips
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Traveling to Denmark
Editor’s note: Global business, and subsequently, global business travel, continues to expand rapidly. In response, CWT Traveler will provide to readers each month in 2008 insights and tips on traveling from North America to other countries around the world. This month’s installment focuses on Denmark.
In business:- Be sure to be on time for all business and social engagements. Punctuality is very important to Danes, as they view tardiness as incompetence or poor time management.
- Summer is a time of leisure in Denmark as well as in the rest of Scandinavia. Travelers may want to avoid scheduling business during July and August, as many businesses close for an extended period of time to allow their employees to take summer vacations.
- Some Danes may be blunt in their manor of speaking, but this is not meant to be insulting.
Travelers may want to avoid making any personal comments, even if complimentary, as personal
comments can be taken as being too invasive.
Breakfast meetings are not common, as most Danes prefer to eat breakfast at home. - Do not discuss business during meals unless your Danish host does so first. Danes are likely to
enjoy conversation about sports, culture and their visitors’ home countries. Be prepared, Danish
dinners can take as long as four hours. It is not polite to leave from dinner before your host
does.
Good to know:
- The official language in Denmark is Danish. English is the predominant second language, and the majority of Danes speak it fluently.
- The traditional Danish greeting and farewell in Denmark is heij, which sounds exactly like the
English greeting “hi.” The common North American greeting “Hi, how are you?” may be interpreted by
a Dane to think you really want to know how they are doing. The preferred greeting would be “Hi,
it's a pleasure to meet you.”
- When being introduced, it is acceptable to shake hands with both men and women. Keep handshakes
firm and brief. When meeting a couple it is customary to shake the woman’s hand first.
- Gifts are not required in business relationships. If you must give a gift, it should be modest so it will not be mistaken for a bribe. Acceptable gift items for a host if invited to a home would be a bouquet of flowers, or chocolates. If you bring roses, avoid white, as they are associated with mourning. Flowers should also be presented wrapped. Other suggested gifts may be an illustrated book from your home region or spirits or wine produced from your home country.
Source: “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Best selling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries,” by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway. Published by Adams Media of Avon, Massachusetts.
