Visit Sweden, Sweden’s official tourism board, has partnered with Airbnb to turn the entire country into an Airbnb listing. Coupled with the nation’s ‘freedom to roam’ policy, travelling in Sweden promises to be an exciting venture for all.
‘Freedom to roam’, guaranteed by the Swedish constitution, allows everyone the right to access, walk, cycle or camp on any public land. Only private gardens and lands under cultivation are an exception to the rule. The literal meaning of the Swedish term of the Right of Public Access, allemansrätten, is ‘everyman’s right’. It provides anyone living in or visiting Sweden with the freedom to roam just about anywhere in the countryside as long as there is no disturbance or destruction of property or the environment.
According to the tourism board, visitors are free to take a morning jog or bike ride across open fields or trek through challenging mountain terrain. But visitors must also remember that with great freedom comes responsibility. The general rule for spending time in nature is “do not disturb, do not destroy”.
The partnership with Airbnb, launched recently, is said to be a first of its kind collaboration between a tourism board and Airbnb.
Visit Sweden, a communications company, specialises in promoting Sweden as a destination and as a brand. It forms partnerships with Swedish regions and other players in the Swedish tourism industry as well as non-tourism organisations to raise awareness and interest about Sweden as a tourist destination. Visit Sweden is present in 10 countries worldwide. It is equally owned by the Swedish Government through the Ministry of Enterprise & Innovation and the Swedish Tourism Industry through Svensk Turism AB.
Founded in 2008, Airbnb provides access to millions of unique accommodations from apartments and villas to castles and treehouses in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests, while Places lets people discover the hidden gems of a city as recommended by the people that live there. For more details, check out airbnb.com/Sweden