Kahini Chakraborty – Mumbai
In terms of international guest nights, Sweden is witnessing an increasing number of tourists from countries outside of Europe, primarily India and USA. Stockholm continues to be leading the Swedish tourism industry. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld on the destination turning its focus on the India market to attract more number of tourists, Fredrika Ornbrant, consul general, Consulate General of Sweden said, “In terms of tourists, Sweden is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations and one of the fastest growing ones as well. The number of guest nights has doubled over the past 10 years. And it is primarily the international guest nights that are increasing. In 2014, Stockholm reached a new record with 11.8 million guest nights. This is an increase of almost eight per cent compared to previous year. These are preliminary numbers from the Stockholm Visitors Board.”
VisitSweden is presently studying the India market before it outlines its strategies for marketing promotions as well as working closely with the travel trade. The segments which could be tapped include leisure, honeymooners, business, adventure travellers. “Sweden is an exotic destination. Some of the destinations that could be chosen by discerning travellers for a unique experience could be exploring the Swedish Lapland, West Coast archipelago, Gothenburg, Abisko National Park, and while in wintertime travellers can enjoy skiing, ice-skating, dog-sledding and other winter sports. We are also promoting Swedish cuisine. So the first step is to understand the India market and then design itineraries. The visa processing has been outsourced to VFS in India and it takes about two weeks to obtain a business or tourist visa.”