Work on developing a ten‑year National Tourism Strategy, and the strategies for sustainable tourism and a growing tourism industry, has included co‑operation between the Ministries of Enterprise and Innovation, Environment, Infrastructure, Culture, Education, Labour, Foreign Affairs and Finance, and co‑operation with industry stakeholders.
The Strategy, launched in 2021, is based upon a national tourism policy review from 2017 and the results of extensive consultation open to all stakeholders. It covers the following strategic areas: easier entrepreneurship, jobs and skills, knowledge and innovation, accessibility, and marketing and communication. The strategy also includes horizontal perspectives of sustainability, digitalisation, place‑based development and collaboration.
The multi-policy area approach is key in the Strategy, and there is a strong focus on sustainable development. The Strategy supports the national tourism policy goal: to have sustainable tourism, with a sustainable and competitive tourism sector that grows and contributes to employment and attractive locations for visitors, residents, companies and investments nationwide.
The Strategy sums up the desired situation for Swedish tourism in ten years’ time in each of the above‑listed areas. It is also designed to support Agenda 2030, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and climate policy objectives. Since the tourism industry comprises several different sectors and is so closely connected to many different public and non‑profit stakeholders, a transformation into a competitive, fossil-free, and circular economy needs to involve a broad range of actors within different policy areas and in different parts of the system.
Sweden also developed a methodology for tourism development of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which resulted in a manual for sustainable tourism development in World Heritages and cultural environments published in 2021 (see box below).
Several areas in the strategy have arisen as a high priority by the sector in the aftermath of the COVID‑19 pandemic. One is skills and the supply of competencies. There is an increasing challenge in finding staff, particularly in the hospitality sector. Another area is transportation and accessibility, which is a challenge not least due to Sweden’s geographical location and the fact that many tourist resorts are located in rural areas, but also given the green transition of the transport sector.
To strengthen its long-term focus, Tillväxtverket is developing a five-year strategic plan anchored in the national strategy and other steering documents, which includes initiatives for enterprises and direct business support.
The strategic plan also includes developing long-term national knowledge support for the tourism sector, such as a digital knowledge bank; quality assurance and delivery of statistics and analysis; follow-up of the pandemic’s short- and long-term effects; and advanced knowledge on sustainable tourism. Place‑based development is another element, focusing on synergies between policy areas and different parts of the local planning system.
