Beyond the country itself, there are seven other places named Sweden: one in Indonesia and six across the United States alone. And although countries themselves cannot trademark their names, recognized travel destinations can. As such, Visit Sweden is now making an unprecedented, cheeky move by applying for the trademark “Sweden” through the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The first-of-its-kind initiative aims to protect Sweden’s identity and to ensure unsuspecting travellers book their trip to the original Sweden, with its iconic lakes, islands, forests, and world-famous flat-pack furniture.
To that end, it is calling on people around the globe to support its application and contribute to a less confusing world.
“We’re flattered that others want to be called Sweden, but we’d prefer if there were only one – our Sweden,” says Susanne Andersson, CEO at Visit Sweden. “With ‘dupes’ trending everywhere, from handbags to holidays, we want people to sign our petition and help travellers discover the authentic Sweden.”
She adds, “When someone says they’re visiting Sweden, we want them to experience our cinnamon buns and princess cake, unique culture, serene beauty in nature and wilderness, and possibly meet a moose or two – not accidentally end up in a small town with the same name elsewhere.”
Global identity challenge
The trademark protection seems to have support among Swedes. A recent Visit Sweden survey shows that 35% agree that their city or country should be able to trademark their name.
But Sweden isn’t alone in facing this challenge; it’s a global phenomenon. Around the world, there are 13 places named America, seven called Germany, 55 Washington, and even towns called Boston, Chicago, and New York within Sweden itself.
The same research revealed that 53% of US travellers find it confusing with destinations having the same names when planning their travels. Additionally, 21% of Americans have assisted others in finding the correct destination due to name duplicates, and 11% admitted to accidentally traveling to the wrong place because of similar names.
Support Sweden’s movement
To support the initiative, Visit Sweden has launched a tongue-in-cheek petition inviting the public to join its cause and a guide on how to distinguish the country from its name dupes. See the video below and sign the petition for trademarking Sweden HERE.
If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning. It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.