Country Profile Part 3: Tourism

1. Importance of tourism:
           Only 2.9% of Sweden's GDP comes from tourism; however, 7.1% of household income was reported to be spent on domestic tourism in 2011. Sweden is listed as the world's 21st most visited country, with the main tourists coming from other parts of Scandinavia and Europe.

2. Major tourist attractions:
                Millesgården: An art museum and sculpture garden located in Stockholm.
                Drottningholm Palace and Theatre:  the private residence and opera house of the Swedish Royal Family, built in the 16th century (and restored in the 20th).
                Train rides throughout Sweden are available as popular tourist attractions: these allow visitors to witness Sweden's famous landscape and natural scenery. Some of these trains also pass through importand historical and cultural centers.
                 Many World Heritage Sites including old mining towns, ironworks, historical villages in the northern part of the country, as well as scenic locations along the ocean, lakes, and mountains.


3. National parks, wildlife, nature preserves:
             Sweden is known for its extraordinary wildlife; much of the country is covered in forests and lakes. Because of the relatively undisturbed nature, Sweden has little need to create nature parks or preserves. All that is required to see nature is to leave the city. Popular activities are canoeing along the canals and lakes, fishing, and hiking in the forested areas as well as the mountainous regions in the northwestern part of the country. Because of Sweden's location in the north, the sun only sets for very short periods of time during the summer. Because of this, summer nights are popular for outdoor activities. In the winter, many people enjoy ice-fishing and skating on the frozen lakes. Watching for the Aurora Borealis is also a popular pastime.

4. Important museums:
               The Vasa Museum: A maritime museum which holds the 17th century warship Vasa--the only fully (or nearly fully) intact ship of its size and time to be found and put on display. The Vasa Museum is documented as the most visited museum in Scandinavia.
                Icehotel: The Icehotel is exactly what it sounds like: a hotel made from ice and snow. It is rebuilt each winter near the northern city of Kiruna. Everything inside the hotel-- including chairs, beds, and the glasses used in the bar-- is made of ice, and sculpture artists are invited each year to carve their own additions and decorations. The building includes an ice restaurant as well as an ice chapel which is commonly used for weddings. All of the ice used in the building is taken in large blocks from the Torne river nearby. Guests of the Icehotel are given sleeping bags designed for arctic climates, as well as special instructions for staying the night. Each bed also comes topped with reindeer furs. A heated building stands next-door for guests to use the restroom, eat, and lounge in warmer spaces. The Aurora Borealis can commonly be seen from the hotel as it exists in the northern winters.