Why Is Sweden Trying To Trademark Its Name?
By
1 month ago
A quirky story from Fika land
Did you know there are eight places in the world called Sweden? We’d only heard of the Pennsylvania town… Just kidding. But Sweden – the Nordic European nation famous for inventing fika and cinnamon buns, for its northern lights spottings and for its capital, Stockholm – sees the existence of other Swedens as so threatening to its distinct identity, it is applying to trademark its name.
While disguised as a helpful campaign to ‘help travellers avoid destination mix-ups’, in reality, it’s all a big publicity stunt – but there is an online petition if you’re feeling passionate. Visit Sweden is pioneering the campaign, introducing prospective tourists to authentic Swedish features so you can be sure you are in the right place when you travel. Watch their introductory video below.
‘It’s flattering that others want to be called Sweden, but we’d prefer if there was only one,’ says Susanne Andersson, CEO at Visit Sweden. ‘Our Sweden. The one with the lakes, islands, forests, and the world’s best flat-pack furniture. We want everyone to join us, sign the petition, and help travellers discover the one and only, and original, Sweden.’ Sweden is the first country to attempt the trademark, and found in its research that 45 percent of travellers aged 20–32 in the UK support the trademarking of names to prevent location mix-ups. One famous example is when four British Liverpool fans ended up in Lille, Belgium when their away match was being played in Lille, France. With at least 34 Londons across the globe, perhaps Sadiq Khan will be inspired by Sweden’s campaign.
Here’s what Visit Sweden recommends travellers look out for:
- ‘Free blue gems (we’re talking blueberries, not sapphires!)
- Quiet luxury (think more nature, less bling)
- Your own private island (yes, really!)
- Hotels for eight seasons (eight!) and not just four seasons
- Freedom to roam, and fabulous fashion to boot’
Intrigued? Check out our Stockholm travel guide and our Umeå travel guide for more inspiration.
