This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 7/22/2019

Overview

The Swedish population has a great appreciation for travel and have both the time and the money to spend on vacations. Swedes have at least 5 weeks of paid annual leave plus 8-10 national holidays. Swedes are excellent English speakers, experienced travelers, and have high demands on what they wish to experience during their vacations. They are tech savvy, connected, and mainly book their vacations (flights and hotels) on the internet. According to a recent survey, 60 percent of Swedes went abroad on vacation in 2017. The same survey showed that the United States was the number one long-haul destination visited by Swedish travelers, with 268,000 more travelers than the second most popular long-haul destination, Thailand. According to the 2018 statistics, 506,300 Swedes travelled to the United States in 2018, making Sweden one of the 20 largest inbound travel markets/originating from abroad.

 

2015

2016

2017

2018

Total Market Size

586,332

560,581*

522,211

506,323

Source: National Travel & Tourism Office, * Previous figure 558,624 revised Aug 2018

Leading Sub-Sectors

Given both the relatively lengthy annual leave and the high disposable income Swedes have, there are ample opportunities for Swedes to travel. The continued low cost of airline travel with direct routes to the U.S. offers many opportunities for U.S. destinations.
Swedish newspapers and magazines regularly run articles highlighting U.S. destinations, culinary experiences and adventures. In a few recent surveys, a Road Trip in the U.S. is number one on a Swedish list of Dream Trips, suggesting the success of tailored trips including flights, hotels and car rentals after one’s preferences. There are a number of Swedish tour operators that offer themed travel for travelers with interest in golf, music, (classic) cars, racing, adventure, culinary, wine, history and sports.
Prior to the Swedish aviation tax implementation in 2018, climate change and its implications for aviation had not yet seemed to affect the behavior of the Swedish travelers. However, the environment and sustainability are very much a focus in everyday life in Sweden and destinations with an ecological/sustainable profile are found particularly attractive.
Per the latest market profile available for Sweden (2017), Swedes are primarily active in the following categories: Shopping (88%), Sightseeing (73%), National Parks/Monuments (39%), Historical Locations (36%), Experience Fine Dining (34%), Small Towns/Countryside (34%), Guided Tours (29%), Art Galleries/museums (28%), and Amusement and Theme Parks (23%).

Opportunities

United, SAS and Norwegian airlines, their partners and others offer a variety of connecting flights and routes to the U.S. Direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda Airport are offered by:
United Airlines – operates seasonal flights to New York/Newark
SAS – operates three direct flights to New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles
Norwegian – operates four direct flights to Ft Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco
The Commercial Service in Stockholm actively supports the Discover America Sweden committee. The committee organizes 3-4 annual workshops held in Sweden, participates in other promotional events, and has social media accounts with Facebook and Instagram. Contact: info@discoveramerica.se

Web Resources

Brand USA                                                        
Discover America Sweden                  
Discover America Nordic                                           
National Travel and Tourism Office    
Visit the USA                                                    
Trade events

  1. Stockholm -annually in January

  2. Norrköping or Jönköping or Linköping - May

  3. Malmö - annually in September

  4. Gothenburg – annually in October

 

  • Travel News Market, B2B Trade Fair at Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre annually in November.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.