Why bother listing a venue on Airbnb when you can list your entire country. This is what Sweden has done in a bid to promote tourism, and it looks like it might just work.
Visit Sweden has partnered with Airbnb to offer its stunning landscapes and nature as accessible to everyone, completely free of charge. In Sweden there is a constitutional right called allemansrätten, meaning ‘the freedom to roam’. This allows anyone to explore the best Sweden has to offer - lakes, mountaintops, forests, meadows (with private gardens and lands under cultivation being the only exception) – at no cost, and encourages visitors to hike, run, camp and cycle on the land and explore as they please.
‘In Sweden we have everything from high mountains to deep forests, from beautiful archipelagos to quiet meadows,’ says Jenny Kaiser, USA Country Manager at Visit Sweden. ‘Now, together with Airbnb, we welcome everyone to come to Sweden and, through freedom to roam, share our wonderful nature.’
This is the first partnership of its kind, with Airbnb listing nine Swedish hotspots including the Rocky Island in the Stockholm Archipelago and the River Bank by Visjöån. There is no mention of cost or pricing (or even an ability to book) in the listings, they are simply open to ‘Everyone’ and the beds available in the ‘Open roof bedroom’ are ‘Unlimited’.
‘Swedish nature isn’t just a piece of land with trees and lakes and cliffs – it’s a home with all the necessities and amenities that any great home should have,’ the listing reads. ‘It’s a place where you can eat berries from the ground, sleep under the stars, swim in the lakes and roam freely.
‘To make this home available for everyone, Sweden has listed the entire country on Airbnb.'
We’re sold.
READ MORE: These Are The Biggest Travel Trends Of 2017
READ MORE: These Are The 10 Best Cities To Visit In 2017, According To Lonely Planet