Sweden lists entire country on Airbnb, opens doors to all tourists
Sweden has listed its public parks and beaches on Airbnb to promote its national policy on free-roaming.
A collaboration between Airbnb and Visit Sweden, the listing is an effort to promote the country’s “freedom to roam” principle, or “allemansrätten,” which gives people the right to freely explore all public spaces across the country.
The listing features nine picturesque locations including a cozy glade, a beach with imposing limestone columns and awesome cliffs formed by an ice sheet.
“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 states. “It’s a place where you can eat berries from the ground, sleep under the stars, swim in the lakes and roam freely.” Swedish law protects this principle, ensuring all people have the right to freely enjoy Swedish nature.
The idea, protected by Swedish law, is that people don’t need to book accomodation to visit the country — they can just grab a tent and freely access any of the publicly owned land. Private gardens and lands under cultivation are the only exceptions, although a “do not disturb, do not destroy” rule applies.
‘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.’
