We just had a visit from our Dutch friends Peter and Dorine who spent ten days in Sweden on a bicycling holiday. Peter and Dorine have travelled around Europe on their bicycles and this year we convinced them to visit one of the most beautiful countries in the world – Sweden.
Since I moved back to Sweden 1 ½ year ago we have had more than 50 visits from abroad to Ulricehamn and the surrounding area. West Sweden offers a fantastic opportunity for tourists who want to combine a holiday in beautiful nature, swimming in the sea or the many lakes or enjoy shopping in bigger and smaller cities. The low level of the Swedish crown makes Sweden even more attractive for foreign visitors. Still the service level we currently offer to tourists is embarrassingly low.
Our friends tried to find a bicycling map of West Sweden before arrival but that was impossible. The few sights they could find on the Internet were all in Swedish and it was not possible to order any maps if you were not living in Sweden. I told them that they could get maps up on arrival but when we went to the local tourism office in Ulricehamn we were told that they only offer maps of Ulricehamn. If you want to bicycle outside our municipality you have to get a map of the next municipality in that town but how do find your way there without a map?
Our friends told the girl at the tourism office that they had heard of Sverigeleden (a path leading through Sweden and which is fairly well known I would say) but the girl had no maps of it and did not know where you could find any. I thought that Peter and Dorin were unlucky and just met the wrong person at our local tourism office but when they arrived back here yesterday I realized that this was not the case.
The low knowledge level of the personal at the different tourism offices, the low standard of the different camping’s in West Sweden and the lack of interest in helping a tourist find their way was worse then travelling in Eastern Europe! They loved the nature and the bicycling paths but had many ideas on how to improve how we deal with tourists.
Peter and Dorine had so many strange experiences along the way that I felt really uncomfortable about it. Is this my Sweden? For example; in Göteborg they finally got a bicycling map of the archipelago and decided to bike to a ferry. When they arrived a few hours later the local tourism office told them that the ferry closed down ten years ago? When asking if there were any other boats or if they had any suggestions on what to see or do in the area the girl said that she didn’t know!
We are so bad at dealing with tourists from abroad that it is remarkable. Still it is one of the fastest growing businesses in Sweden. Tourism is one of the most effective ways of redistributing wealth, by moving money into local economies from other parts of the country and overseas. It brings income into a community that would otherwise not be earned!
Economic benefits resulting from tourism can take a number of forms including jobs, increased spending and economic diversification. Economic diversification can be seen as an insurance policy in hard times. By offering an additional means of income, tourism can support a community when a traditional industry is under financial pressure. We are suffering a decline in many businesses but tourism is not one of them. See the opportunity this brings to our region and act on it!
Another aspect of tourism is the positive effects it has on community identity and pride. A positive sense of community identity can be reinforced and tourism can encourage local communities to maintain their traditions and identity. Eco-tourism can place a greater focus on the conservation of natural resources through the recognition of their importance to visitor experiences and their economic value to the local community.
In many other countries a national agency make sure that cities and regions cooperate in a professional way so that a tourist can travel wherever they want to. All websites directed to tourists should be in at least English and be linked to other tourist providers as well. It is not good when the Swedish part of the sight shows many more rental possibilities then the English part of the same sight! A tourist coming to get information and help should not have to leave empty handed and included in the service a normal good day and good buy should be compulsory. Why do we not see tourism as an important business where staff is properly trained?
In my municipality we want more inhabitants. In order to attract them we need to market ourselves better and show the world what we have to offer. Increased tourism does not only generate wealth but also raise awareness about a place which in turn can effect mobility of people. We need to offer a perfect service to anyone wanting to spend time here and if they also want to see the rest of Sweden we need to help them doing this as well. Cooperation, increased service levels, knowledge training, better language skills and looking at tourism as a professional business is a must if we want today’s visitors to return tomorrow!
And we all have to take responsibility for this – tourism offices, the politicians, local businesses and we as inhabitants – if we want to succeed! Luckily I think Peter and Dorine will be back! And for our 18 guests who are about to arrive shortly I hope I can show you what a great place this is because despite some issues this is a unique place!
Greatings from Ulricehamn!!!
May 2013
in Ulricehamn
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Where summer takes us
A few years ago Elsa (then aged 5 or 6) decided to cut her hair. A day before the school photographer was arriving she cut her fringe to about 2 mm. With big tears she told me of her regret but it was not a lot I could do about it. When I came to pick Elsa up at school the next day the teacher told me that she asked Elsa if she cut her hair herself and she got a serious answer;
- No, my mum did this. She wanted me to look good at the school picture.
While going through some paper in the office I found that school picture today. On the picture I see a girl with a wide smile and a crazy hairstyle. I think it is the best school picture ever taken because it is so much Elsa.
The last few days she has spent drawing her own cartoons, baking cakes, helping me to cook and found a wide range of new recipes on the internet that she wants to use. She has been sewing, swimming between the rain showers in the lake and now she is off with Jochem to go fishing with the boat. Ingrid is visiting her school friend Wilma in Strömstad (town on the west coast of Sweden) for a few days and Nils is spending every possible hour with his best, best friend Daniel. Elsa has no need to play with others right now. She finds her own tasks and paths in a way we do not always understand but she is enjoying the holiday fully. With ten weeks of school holiday I hope they will remember their school holidays in the same way I do.
Endless days filled with play, games, books and visitors. Days that never seemed to end.
June was filled with sunshine and blue sky’s but in true Swedish spirit the rain arrived with the start of the main holiday season in July. Jochems project in Italy was put on hold for a month so now we are all enjoying a holiday together (and it looks like he has work through the fall). With or without rain we all seem to fall in to the holiday spirit.
Lets see where summer takes us…
- No, my mum did this. She wanted me to look good at the school picture.
While going through some paper in the office I found that school picture today. On the picture I see a girl with a wide smile and a crazy hairstyle. I think it is the best school picture ever taken because it is so much Elsa.
The last few days she has spent drawing her own cartoons, baking cakes, helping me to cook and found a wide range of new recipes on the internet that she wants to use. She has been sewing, swimming between the rain showers in the lake and now she is off with Jochem to go fishing with the boat. Ingrid is visiting her school friend Wilma in Strömstad (town on the west coast of Sweden) for a few days and Nils is spending every possible hour with his best, best friend Daniel. Elsa has no need to play with others right now. She finds her own tasks and paths in a way we do not always understand but she is enjoying the holiday fully. With ten weeks of school holiday I hope they will remember their school holidays in the same way I do.
Endless days filled with play, games, books and visitors. Days that never seemed to end.
June was filled with sunshine and blue sky’s but in true Swedish spirit the rain arrived with the start of the main holiday season in July. Jochems project in Italy was put on hold for a month so now we are all enjoying a holiday together (and it looks like he has work through the fall). With or without rain we all seem to fall in to the holiday spirit.
Lets see where summer takes us…
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Each friend represent a world in us
My holiday just started and I met up with Jochem in the Netherlands this weekend. I have been to the NL quite often the last few months but not to Nijmegen, which I consider my “hometown”. Jochem and I have been very busy lately (yes, I guess you’ve heard that before) so we decided to meet up for a romantic weekend, enjoy some good food, shopping, visit our Dutch family and make a short stop at some friends house.
Last time I saw Colin, Nathalie and their four children Colin had some pain in his shoulder. We were a few days away from Christmas and I guess none of us had any idea what was about to come. A few days after our visit Colin was diagnosed with a very unusual cancer and their lives took a new turn.
Living far apart makes it difficult to be a good friend in hard times and seeing them this weekend made it obvious how extremely tough it has been. Still, the road looks brighter and the spirit was one of survival and future. I am sure the end result will lead to complete recovery but the price they pay is high and all the rest of us can do is be the best of friends one can possibly be.
You are always in my heart!
Ingrid, Elsa and Nils have spent two weeks with my parents in Nybrostand (a small village on the Swedish south coast) and Nils has learned to bicycle on his own. According to my mother it took about two minutes (is it not great to talk to people who are just as proud about their grandchildren’s achievements as you are!). Tomorrow they arrive back in Ulricehamn and we will enjoy a local holiday. Jochem will also be here as his Italian project has been cancelled so we will all have a holiday together. This could very well be the end of Jochems assignments with Philips as they are letting many consultants go so maybe I will have a houseman at home for some time. Actually, I think that would do Jochem and us all quite some good!
I end with a quote and wish everyone a summer filled with love and health!
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin
Last time I saw Colin, Nathalie and their four children Colin had some pain in his shoulder. We were a few days away from Christmas and I guess none of us had any idea what was about to come. A few days after our visit Colin was diagnosed with a very unusual cancer and their lives took a new turn.
Living far apart makes it difficult to be a good friend in hard times and seeing them this weekend made it obvious how extremely tough it has been. Still, the road looks brighter and the spirit was one of survival and future. I am sure the end result will lead to complete recovery but the price they pay is high and all the rest of us can do is be the best of friends one can possibly be.
You are always in my heart!
Ingrid, Elsa and Nils have spent two weeks with my parents in Nybrostand (a small village on the Swedish south coast) and Nils has learned to bicycle on his own. According to my mother it took about two minutes (is it not great to talk to people who are just as proud about their grandchildren’s achievements as you are!). Tomorrow they arrive back in Ulricehamn and we will enjoy a local holiday. Jochem will also be here as his Italian project has been cancelled so we will all have a holiday together. This could very well be the end of Jochems assignments with Philips as they are letting many consultants go so maybe I will have a houseman at home for some time. Actually, I think that would do Jochem and us all quite some good!
I end with a quote and wish everyone a summer filled with love and health!
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin
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