Can sex save Denmark?

Posted by Cameron Ewart-Smith on 8 May 2014

Getaway magazine editor, Cameron Ewart-Smith, reckons the Danes are onto something with their latest campaign, ‘Do it for Denmark’.

Can sex save Denmark’s future? Do it for Denmark is a campaign that urges Danish citizens to have more sex on holiday to counteract the country’s falling birth rate.

‘Have sex for Denmark!’

This is the clarion call of a new television ad campaign for a Danish travel company. The campaign, Do It For Denmark (watch the video below), claims that 10 percent of Danish children were conceived on holiday and, because Denmark’s national birth rate is at a 27-year low, the advertisers consider it a national responsibility. They further claim Danes have 46 percent more sex on holiday.

Sounds about right for most nations, I suspect. Why? Because holidaying allows you to check your ‘baggage’ at the door. It allows you to escape the daily grind. Travelling rejuvenates your mind and, if you get it right, your soul. But it’s not a fix-it-all solution. What turns me on (yes, I went there) isn’t the same as what turns you on. Everyone desires slightly different experiences and moments. What’s important is that you don’t forego this in the ruthless pursuit of societally expected rewards. Two of the people I respect most both subscribe to a simple life philosophy – they invest in experiences rather than stuff.

And experiences don’t get better than visiting the cradle of modern civilisation: Greece. Join journalist Narina Exelby as she ponders the navel of the universe on page 64 of the May issue of Getaway magazine. If that’s too far away and you’re looking to refresh the soul closer to home, the retreats in this issue (page 46) are just the sort of place you need to snip the office umbilical (I’m not one for spas – rather give me a glass of red wine and a good book in front of a fire – but the women in my life tell me I am overlooking one of life’s great pleasures: the spa treatment). If that sounds too unpleasantly slithery for you, turn to page 58 for an adventure in the central African rainforests of the Congo in search of critically endangered western lowland gorillas. It’s about as far from being pampered on the tourist trail as you can get (and eye-wateringly expensive) but it’s certainly a trip of a lifetime. Alternatively, drop in on magical forests of a different kind right here in South Africa and explore the Garden Route’s Harkerville area – see page 80.

No matter what, don’t put it off for too long. A balanced life is full of real experiences, and it’s never too late to check in on the rest of your life. Getting lucky isn’t about sitting around hoping something good will happen; it’s about getting up and making a little luck of your own. Who’s on board?

Taken from the May issue of Getaway magazine (on shelves now). Click on the magazine cover below to see more, subscribe or buy digital issues.

Getaway May 2014

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