It turned its toilets into tourist attractions... Norway responds with sarcasm to Trump's insult

The Norwegian Tourism Authority launched a satirical promotional campaign centered around bathrooms, with the aim of showcasing the most beautiful public toilets in terms of natural views in the country, after US President Donald Trump described the Scandinavian country as a “dirty country.” Trump made these scathing statements during an election rally, days before voters went to the polls to participate in the midterm elections for the US Congress.

Trump said on Sunday that he welcomes immigrants coming to the United States from some countries, but he does not want to receive immigrants from Norway, explaining: “Because I did not get the Nobel Prize.” Trump added later during the same election rally: “Norway has become a really dirty country.”

However, the Norwegian Tourism Authority decided to invest this description in a sarcastic promotional campaign, and asked a question entitled: “Are these the best toilets in the world?”, in an article published on its website that reviews a group of distinctive toilets spread among the country’s picturesque landscapes. As part of promoting the campaign on social media platforms this week, the tourism authority published a number of photos, commenting: “We heard some noise about Norway being described as a country of toilets...

We already have some of the most beautiful and amazing toilets in the world.” The Norwegian marketing campaign shows photos and videos of some of the most stunningly designed toilets, accompanied by sarcastic phrases, including: “Norway is bringing glory back to toilets!”

“These toilets are worth a visit, whether you really need to use them or not.” Among the facilities that the campaign highlights is the restroom located at the “Stegastein” viewing platform in the Sognefjord area, which the Tourism Board indicated that the website “DesignCurial” ranked among the ten best public restrooms in the world.

The campaign also highlights the “Ureddplassen” rest area, with a design inspired by the shape of waves, located on the coast of Helgeland. The authority describes these facilities on its website as “architectural masterpieces,” including a golden-colored bathroom on the island of Sinaia, and another powered by solar energy in the Sognefjord area.

While promising to reveal more toilets designed to dazzle visitors, the authority concluded its article by saying: “As you can see, Norway is replete with an impressive collection of exceptional toilets, which provide distinctive examples of how to transform something as ordinary and boring as the bathroom into a tourist attraction worthy of a visit.” The US President also described Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen as "dirty countries."

But his attack on Norway appears to stem from his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded earlier this month to South African human rights pioneer Navi Pillay. The Norwegians have repeatedly reminded Trump that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the independent Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government.