*By Nicole Kazantzidou
The Swedes are proposing holidays… with a doctor’s prescription, inviting people to visit their country “for the good of mental and physical health”. With this concept, Sweden has launched a new tourism campaign, which, through a special section of Visit Sweden, highlights the documented benefits of nature and culture on health.
As Nils Persson, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Visit Sweden, explains to the Athens and Macedonian News Agency on the sidelines of a Marketing Greece event on the “Destination Insight” initiative, “this is a marketing campaign to highlight Sweden as a destination and the benefits of visiting the country. However, it is scientifically documented what is happening”.
On the website visitsweden.com, in the “Swedish Prescription” section, interested parties can download the relevant “prescription” and, as he says, present it to their doctor: “You can go to our website, download the ‘prescription’, take it to your doctor and tell him: ‘I want to make this change. Here is the scientific documentation and the large studies that support it.’”
He explains that the narrative is not just a communication trick. “Because it is true. It is ‘medicine’, it is not just marketing. It is based on extensive research. And I myself started this conversation with a doctor,” he notes.
How the idea was born
The conception of the campaign was based on a broader analysis of both the country’s potential and international trends. “We looked at what Sweden has to offer, what the international travel trends are, but also what the broader social trends are,” says Persson.
As it turned out, in several countries, doctors and general practitioners are starting to ‘prescribe’ nature and culture as part of a more holistic approach to health. “That’s when we said: Sweden is the ideal destination for such a trip, because it can offer all of these. And we don’t have overtourism, so you don’t have to worry about being in a crowd,” he emphasizes.
The Visit Sweden team then proceeded to further investigate and collaborate with experts, so that the campaign would be based on real research data. “That’s how we came up with the idea and ‘dressed’ it in a human, Swedish way,” he notes.
The campaign was launched in September 2025 and, as he explains, it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about its immediate impact on arrivals. “Maybe next year, in the summer or in 2027, we will be able to see if there is an increase in the numbers,” he points out.
For now, the evaluation is based mainly on international publicity. “We measure how many articles were written and how the message was spread. There was a lot of coverage by international media (CBS, Sky News, Fox News, BBC, etc.). There was extensive reporting on the campaign in TV shows and publications. This way we evaluate how the message is getting through to the public in different countries.”
Target markets and changing travel trends
In terms of core target markets, Sweden is focusing on Germany, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, France, the UK, the US, as well as the German-speaking areas of Switzerland and Austria, as well as Belgium. However, as he explains, such campaigns have an even wider scope. “We want to reach beyond our core markets. Everyone is welcome.”
Although many of these countries are still sun-drenched, Mr. Persson points out that there is a clear shift in travel preferences. “More and more people want to do something different on their vacation. They want to be more active. That’s where Sweden has a lot to offer.”
As he points out, in countries like Spain, Greece or Italy, where summer temperatures are particularly high, intense activity is more difficult: “That’s why we’re promoting an alternative.”
When asked about the role of climate change, he replies that it may be a factor, but the main change concerns travel preferences themselves: “It’s mainly a change in what people want to do on their holidays.”
At the same time, the campaign seeks to highlight a different, less prominent side of the country. “We can’t compete with Greece, Spain, France or Italy in the sunny beaches of the summer, even though we have many beaches. So we rely on our strengths, on what we can offer, and we present them in an attractive way, so that people feel good and do something good for themselves,” he concludes.
“Good practices in Tourism” by Marketing Greece
The case of Sweden was presented within the framework of the “Destination Insight” initiative, organized by Marketing Greece, with the aim of highlighting good practices and modern strategies in tourism.
As pointed out by Nikos Diamantopoulos, General Manager of Marketing Greece, the aim of the initiative is to inspire Greek tourism, to dare innovation and experimentation, to substantially expand the boundaries of inclusion, both for the visitor and for the local community, to approach sustainability in terms of “care” and responsibility towards the place and the people and, finally, to invest in the synthesis of forces and the sharing of knowledge as a key vehicle for collective progress.
Selected case studies from international organizations and bodies were presented within the framework of the event. In addition to the Visit Sweden representative, Charles Turpel from the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, Branka Gradisar from Ljubljana Tourism and Nicholas Hall, Founder & CEO of the Digital Tourism Think Tank, participated, who highlighted examples of innovative approaches that redefine the way destinations communicate their identity and competitive advantages in the international tourism market.
Source: amna.gr