Tourism activity in Sweden has returned to pre-pandemic levels, driven primarily by foreign demand, while domestic consumption and employment continue to lag behind 2019, keeping the country’s tourism balance negative.
According to the updated data recently released by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket), total tourism expenditure in 2024 reached SEK 456 billion, equivalent to approximately €41.5 billion at constant prices. This represents a 4% increase compared to 2023, essentially returning to 2019 levels. Consequently, tourism’s contribution to GDP reached 2.8%, up from 2.6% in 2023, approaching the 2.9% recorded before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the domestic picture remains mixed. Domestic tourism expenditure reached SEK 330 billion, up 5% year-on-year, yet still below 2019 levels. In contrast, foreign visitor spending recorded a steadier recovery, reaching SEK 126 billion, an increase of 2% compared to 2023 and 10% higher than in 2019.
It should also be noted that Sweden’s tourism balance remains negative. In 2024, it stood at SEK –42 billion, reflecting that Swedes continue to spend more on travel abroad than foreign visitors spend in the country. This long-standing characteristic of Sweden’s tourism economy remains a structural challenge for expanding inbound tourism.
At the same time, employment in tourism remained essentially stagnant. In 2024, the sector employed approximately 154,000 people, corresponding to 2.9% of total employment, noticeably below the 162,000 jobs recorded in 2019. Meanwhile, total hours worked increased marginally by 0.3 percentage points compared to 2023, indicating limited but existent mobility.
Against these macroeconomic challenges, the national tourism organization Visit Sweden is investing in a diversification strategy, launching an international promotional campaign that positions Sweden as a health and wellness destination. The campaign taps into the globally rising trend of nature-based health interventions and is directly linked to the rapidly growing wellness tourism market, which was valued at $651 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7.6% through 2029.
Of particular interest is the communication aspect of the initiative, with physicians from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany participating as speakers, promoting Sweden almost as a “therapeutic treatment.” The campaign received significant attention, generating over 1,800 publications in 70 countries and extensive coverage from international media outlets such as CBS, Forbes, Fox News, Le Figaro, and Daily Mail, along with a strong social media presence. Interest was also noted in markets outside the primary target, including Australia, Japan, Brazil, and India.
In any case, Visit Sweden’s CEO Susanne Andersson maintains a cautious tone, emphasizing that it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about the campaign’s impact on tourist arrivals. She also highlighted the importance of sustainable development in a market where the average hotel occupancy is around 52%, noting that qualitative growth remains more critical than simply increasing volume.
