They’re both countries in Europe that start with S, and 120,000 people a year get them confused, Google searches show.
The Swedish tourist board has decided it’s time to clarify that the nation is, in fact, not the same country as Switzerland.
According to Visit Sweden, the two countries are constantly confused.
To dispel the confusion, the tourism board has launched a fun new campaign.
Here’s how you can tell the difference between the two European countries.
Sweden launches video to show tourists it’s not Switzerland
Visit Sweden’s campaign video is titled “Welcome to Sweden (not Switzerland)” and was released on social media this week.
Every year, 120,000 people search on Google if Sweden AND Swiss they are the same country, according to the news site SwissInfo.
A study conducted by Visit Sweden in the United States found that half of those surveyed were unsure whether there was a difference between the two nations.
Global leaders have also made the mistake. During a speech at the NATO summit last year, US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Switzerland while discussing Sweden’s application to join the military alliance.
In the satirical video, an official representative standing on a podium between two Swedish flags addresses the “leaders and citizens of Switzerland”.
He declares that it is time to make the distinction between the two nations clear by deciding “who talks about what.”
Switzerland can talk about tops, yodelling and watches, for example, but Sweden it has a monopoly on communication over rooftop bars, silence and the oblivion of time.
“As long as both tourism organizations maintain this division in all communications with the outside world, the confusion should end,” Sweden proposes.
How is Sweden different from Switzerland?
To make the distinction between the two countries clear, Visit Sweden has also detailed some ways in which the two countries differ on their website.
Even though Switzerland has one of the largest gold reserves in the world, Sweden it has “forest gold”. Every autumn, Swedes forage for chanterelles, a type of mushroom with a golden sheen.
If you like historic banks, go to Switzerland, but if you prefer walking beaches and sandbanks, you should visit Sweden, the tourist board says. Sweden has 48,000 kilometers of coastline and wild archipelagos jutting into the Baltic Sea.
In Switzerland you can “enjoy spectacular light shows made with projections and LEDs,” says Visit Sweden, but “in Sweden you don’t need electricity to put on a show.” The Nordic country has its own natural spectacle: the northern Lights.
Finally, the tourist body reminds visitors that while Switzerland is a country with “many interesting sounds” such as the jadis and the Campanacci, Sweden is a place of peace and tranquility where the sound landscapes will help you “relax and connect with the nature”.
Image:Getty Images
