Sweden is stepping up to protect its identity and has applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to protect its name from international duplicates that might confuse unsuspecting travellers who want to experience the original Sweden. It is calling on people around the world to support its application to prevent travel mix-ups by signing the online petition.

The trademark application aims to ensure no one packs for the Swedish lakes and forests only to find themselves in a far-off town with the same name but none of the Scandi charm. British travellers have, at some point, been caught out by two places having the same name—from Edmonton in North London versus Edmonton, Canada, to the legendary Liverpool football fans who wound up in Lille, Belgium instead of Lille, France**.

According to Visit Sweden research*, almost half (45%) of travellers in the UK admitted to finding it confusing with destinations having the same names when planning their travels and 7% have even confessed they travelled to the wrong place. With over 7.4 million British travellers interested in Sweden as a travel destination, there’s the potential for over 595,000 travellers to end up in the wrong Sweden.

“It’s flattering that others want to be called Sweden, but we’d prefer if there was only one. Our Sweden. The one with the lakes, islands, forests, and the world’s best flat-pack furniture,” says Susanne Anderson, CEO at Visit Sweden. “We want everyone to join us, sign the petition, and help travellers discover the one and only, and original, Sweden.”

Trademarking Sweden – Seriously?

Visit Sweden is levelling up its fight by applying to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to trademark the country’s name. This will ensure that when someone says “Sweden,” everyone knows they mean the real deal – the one where you can catch the Northern Lights, enjoy fika, take home some iconic design and possibly meet a moose or two. And *35% of Swedes support the idea too.

And it’s not just the Swedes who agree. Almost half (45%) of younger travellers aged 20-32 in the UK support the idea of trademarking names to prevent location mix-ups. With multiple Germanys, dozens of Americas, and at least 34 duplicate London’s globally, it’s not hard to see why a little clarity might be in order, ensuring a little less geographical guessing for everyone.

How to Know You’ve Arrived in the Real Sweden

Travellers should look out for the following signs that they’ve made it to the Original Sweden:

• Free blue gems (we’re talking blueberries, not sapphires!)
• Quiet luxury (think more nature, less bling)
• Your own private island (yes, really!)
• Hotels for eight seasons (eight!)
• Freedom to roam, and fabulous fashion to boot

Whether you’re after a serene nature retreat or cutting-edge design, Sweden is making sure travellers arrive at the right destination – The Original Sweden.