Sweden has had enough of being confused with Switzerland

Is a campaign really necessary? Who wouldn't recognise cheeky Swiss orphan Heidi? Keystone / Str

Sweden and Switzerland are too often confused – at least the tourism organisation Visit Sweden thinks so and is launching an advertising campaign to help clear things up.

Switzerland Tourism is relaxed about the news and says Switzerland is “unmistakable” anyway.

“Welcome to Sweden (not Switzerland)” is the title of the video circulated on social media by Visit Sweden. As the Swedish tourism office announced on Tuesday, both countries are beautiful and have the same initial letters in German and English.

But that’s where the similarities should stop, if the Swedes have their way. Every year, 120,000 people even google the question of whether Sweden and Switzerland are the same. In the US, a study by Visit Sweden found that half of the respondents were not sure if there was a difference.

In the Visit Sweden video, a woman dressed in what appears to be official attire addresses the Swiss directly in front of two Swedish flags. She proposes a treaty whereby each country concentrates on its core competencies.

According to this, the Swiss yodel to their hearts’ content in their mountains, while deep silence reigns in Sweden’s majestic nature. And while time is forgotten in Sweden, Switzerland builds luxury watches.

+ ‘You’re Swiss? Stockholm is so beautiful…’

‘No comment’

Switzerland Tourism told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA that guests would not confuse Switzerland, neither with destinations with similar names nor with other Alpine destinations.

As a matter of principle, Switzerland Tourism said it did not comment on the advertising activities of other tourism organisations. However, Switzerland Tourism is happy to see “other humorous tourism advertising”.

Visit Sweden, the company in charge of Swedish tourism marketing, said it would contact its Swiss colleagues. Sweden does not mind being confused with Switzerland from time to time, it said. But it is worth clearing up the confusion.

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