Mi, Okt 25th 2023
Sweden and Switzerland are often confused by tourists worldwide, according to Visit Sweden, the Swedish tourism marketer. To combat this, they have launched a campaign titled “Welcome to Sweden (not Switzerland)”.
The two countries have similar names in German and English, but Visit Sweden believes that should be the only similarity.
A study in the US found that half of the respondents were not sure if there was a difference between the two countries.
The video from Visit Sweden features a woman in an official-looking outfit standing in front of two Swedish flags, addressing Swiss people directly.
She proposes a contract where each country focuses on its core competencies; the Swiss can jodel in their mountains while Sweden has majestic silence, and Switzerland builds luxurious timepieces while Sweden lets time stand still.
Switzerland Tourism responded calmly, saying that guests do not confuse Switzerland with other destinations, and that they do not comment on other tourism campaigns.
However, they are happy to see other humorous tourism advertisements. Visit Sweden has stated that they will contact their Swiss colleagues, and that they do not mind being confused with Switzerland occasionally, but it is worth clearing up the confusion.
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic