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In a move that places Sweden at the forefront of tourism tech, Visit Sweden has launched a national API—an open-data platform designed to make the country’s entire tourism offering accessible in a structured, digital format. With this initiative, Sweden becomes one of the first nations in the world to centralize its tourism data at a national level, aligning with global standards and creating new opportunities for innovation, international visibility, and sector growth.
The API (Application Programming Interface) consolidates content from all of Sweden’s 21 regions and structures it using the global data standard schema.org. The result is a flexible, open system where around 14,000 tourism-related data entries—including destinations, accommodations, events, and experiences—can be freely accessed, reused, and integrated into digital services worldwide. And more are being added. Interested parties can join the initiative and find all the necessary information on Visit Sweden’s corporate website.
“By bringing Sweden’s tourism industry together under a shared digital standard, we’re strengthening the country’s international appeal and making it easier for travelers around the world to explore our unique destinations,” says Sara Modig, State Secretary to Sweden’s Minister for Energy and Business, Ebba Busch.
A Future-Proof Framework for Innovation
The API is more than just a tech tool—it’s a strategic step toward future-proofing Sweden’s digital visibility. The data can be used by developers, platforms, and businesses to build a wide range of digital services—from AI-powered travel apps and smart recommendation engines to sustainability tracking tools and hyper-local planning features. Data can also be combined with other sources, such as weather information or public transport schedules, enabling richer and more responsive travel experiences.
“We’re incredibly proud to be among the first countries in the world to unify our tourism offering in line with schema.org. This positions Sweden as a competitive, digitally visible destination and opens the door to exciting innovation,” says Nils Persson, Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Sweden.
Because the data is open and license-free, it is accessible to anyone—from global tech platforms to small, local tour operators. Importantly, each data contributor retains ownership of their content, updating it in one place and distributing it simultaneously across multiple digital channels—including their own. This ensures travelers always encounter accurate, real-time information, regardless of the platform they use.
A Nationwide Collaboration Across Sectors
The project was developed in close cooperation with Sweden’s regional tourism organizations, municipalities, industry bodies, and individual tourism companies, ensuring a system that reflects the real needs of the market. That collaborative approach has helped speed up implementation and align the digital transformation with national policy.
“The strength lies not only in the scale of the data, but in the fact that it includes credible, quality content—from small independent businesses to major hotel chains—across the entire country,” says Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden. “And we’ve built this in collaboration with regions and industry stakeholders.”
“It’s very encouraging to see Sweden’s tourism industry come together in a dedicated API that guarantees effective, long-term digital visibility,” adds Jonas Siljhammar, CEO of Visita, Sweden’s hospitality industry association.
This initiative aligns with the Swedish government’s national data strategy, reinforcing the country’s commitment to digitalization and innovation. It’s also a concrete example of how open data and infrastructure can drive economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness—all while improving the traveler experience.
Major Players Already Onboard
Several of Sweden’s largest travel and hospitality companies are already contributing data or are in the process of doing so, including Scandic Hotels, Best Western Hotels & Resort, Strawberry, Svenska Turistföreningen (STF), Göta Kanal, SCR – Svensk Camping, Parks & Resorts, First Camp and Svenska Möten. More partners are being added on an ongoing basis.
Tags: Jonas Siljhammar, Visita, Sweden’s hospitality industry association Sara Modig, Sweden, Nils Persson, Susanne Andersson, Visit Sweden