According to new research from Visit Sweden, when asked to name countries on a map of Europe, over one in five Brits were unable to correctly identify any of the nations in question (23%), despite Europe accounting for 79% of all visits abroad by UK residents last year[2].
The study revealed that more than three-quarters did not know, or were unable to place, the Nordic countries correctly (76%), with over two-thirds of Brits not able to locate Sweden on a map (67%). A further 43% of the nation admitted to confusing two European countries and 13% thought Sweden and Switzerland were the same place; an issue many Swedes and Swiss are familiar with.
A number of Brits also wrongly highlighted IKEA (15%) and ABBA (13%) as things they loved about Switzerland rather than Sweden. To solve this issue, Visit Sweden, the Swedish tourist board, is reaching out to their European friend to decide who talks about what.
“If people struggle to separate our two countries, we need to help them. We can’t change the names of our nations, but we can become more distinct. Sweden offers luxury of a different nature. That’s why we believe it’s time to decide who promotes what.”said Susanne Andersson, CEO Visit Sweden.
Watch Sweden’s proposition to Switzerland here:
Traditional luxury vs Sweden: luxury of a different nature
With a good dose of humour, Sweden is highlighting aspects that are known to attract travellers. They want to show that Sweden offers a different kind of luxury.
Sweden’s ask is simple: “We will communicate things like sandbanks, rooftops, and silence. Meanwhile, Switzerland will focus on banks, mountain tops, and yodeling.” Continues Susanne Anderson.
Learn more online about Sweden´s:
- Naturally occurring gold, of a different nature
- Sandbanks and archipelagos
- Rooftop bars – a different peak to your day
- The Northern Lights – a different kind of surreal experience
- Silent soundscapes that help you wind down and connect with nature, and a lack of yodeling
The full proposition can be read and signed at https://visitsweden.com/sweden-not-switzerland/ … and hopefully, in the future, tourists will know that they are visiting Sweden (and not Switzerland).
