Sweden expects more Indian travelers by 2021

Sweden expects a surge in the arrival of Indian visitors from 2021 and go further up next year, as it undertakes a slew of initiatives to promote the country as a preferred destination here, a senior national tourism organisation official of the Scandinavian nation said, reports the Press Trust of India.

The tourism in Sweden this year has been severely impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The urge to travel will probably be stronger after the lockdown and we are hoping that international travel from India picks up by the end of 2021 and goes up even more in 2022,” Visit Sweden Manager – India Ruth Dolla told PTI.

Due to the travel restrictions, there has been a massive dip in the number of tourists since the onset of the pandemic, she added.

“Seeing the current situation, it is unlikely that the arrivals (in 2021) will be at par with last year, but we do estimate that the luxury travellers will opt for destination holidays depending on the lifting of the travel ban,” Dolla said.

In 2019, 235,445 visitors came from India to Sweden, she added.

On the steps being taken by the tourism board, Dolla said in 2020, Visit Sweden, is talking about nature and promoting 15 unique experiences and accommodations in the country”s most fascinating natural surroundings, the PTI report said.

Nature experiences can help to find a way back to normality after months in the shadow of the pandemic, she added.

“In Sweden, where 70 per cent of the country is covered with forest, nature is easy to reach. Visitors find open landscapes with fields and meadows, virgin forests, quiet lakes, miles of coastlines, and thousands of islands. For people waiting to travel soon, Sweden is the ideal place,” reports the PTI quoting Dolla.
On being asked about the profile of the visitors from India, she said: “It is both for business and leisure. VFR (visiting friends and relatives) is also a growing segment due to the increasing number of Indians now working and living in Sweden”.

Visit Sweden markets Sweden abroad as a destination to contribute to more jobs and increased income in Sweden. It is owned by the Swedish state through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the PTI report added.