Even the most informed and powerful people on earth can't always tell the two countries apart; A world leader, the New York Stock Exchange, and a famous pop star have all experienced this.  Every year, 120,000 people even google the question: "Are Sweden and Switzerland the same?". Determined to end the confusion once and for all, Sweden is now proposing action. The proposal from Sweden aims to make the distinction between the two countries clear, thus ending the ongoing confusion.

To solve this issue, Visit Sweden, the Swedish tourist board, is reaching out to their European friend to decide who talks about what. The first draft of the official settlement between Sweden and Switzerland has been presented and Visit Sweden is hopeful to get it signed. But they are open to discussions.

• More than two-thirds of British people are unable to locate Sweden on a map
• 43% of the nation admit to confusing two European countries, with Sweden and Switzerland often mixed up
• Many Brits also identified IKEA or ABBA as Swiss

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[1].

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. In the aftermath of this research and after decades of confusion, Sweden is now proposing action, determined to end the confusion once and for all.

“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, and hopefully we can reach an agreement,” said Susanne Andersson, CEO Visit Sweden.

Watch Sweden's proposition to Switzerland here:

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/4hzdUdvuMkM?feature=oembed 

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 plea is simple: “We will communicate things like sandbanks, rooftops, and silence. Meanwhile, Switzerland will focus on banks, mountain tops, and yodelling. We are still waiting for an official response, but we're hoping that Switzerland is willing to negotiate with us on this important matter.” 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 yodelling

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).

Press Kit:

Images and video material:

https://contentbank.visitsweden.com/selection/674f233f19c5645253134b7809d1cc17

Web:

https://visitsweden.com/sweden-not-switzerland/

For more information please contact:

Steve Robertshaw, PR Manager, Visit Sweden

Email: steve.robertshaw@visitsweden.com

Visit Sweden

Visit Sweden has an official assignment from the Swedish government to market Sweden as a destination. Our vision is that Sweden by 2030 is the world's most sustainable and attractive destination built on innovation. Now more than ever, purposeful travel needs to be meaningful, conscious and creating lasting value with regard to our guests, the local community and our planet. Welcome to Sweden, a destination of a different nature.

https://corporate.visitsweden.com/om-oss/en/ 

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2022