Travel bookings by Swedes Jump by 80% after the government abolished advice on travel abroad
Swedish companies and the travel organization (SRF) announced that the booking figures have increased by 80 percent compared to last week. The increase followed the Foreign Ministry’s decision to end the Travel Council from 1 October.
The restriction had been effective since March 14, 2020, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
According to the general secretary of SRF, Didrik von Seth, a sharp increase in bookings was noted immediately after the travel council was announced to be removed from next month.
“The increase in bookings this past weekend is over 80 percent compared to last week, and the emphasis is on traveling a little further away. The Maldives, for example, shows an increase of 250 percent for one of our members, “ noted the secretary.
>> Travel to Sweden: Current rules and restrictions introduced due to COVID-19
During the pandemic, due to entry and travel restrictions, the booking numbers reached the bottom. Statistics from Statistics Sweden show that the travel industry has been hit hardest by declines of up to 90 percent.
“The industry hopes that the coming winter season will begin to return to fairly normal levels at a number of destinations. Travel is important for jobs, growth and prosperity in many countries, including Sweden, ” he added.
According to Statista, tourism in Sweden is expected to increase the country’s GDP to 603 billion Konor in 2028.
However, it has been possible to alleviate entry restrictions and thus end the travel advice also due to successful vaccination campaigns carried out throughout Europe and other countries.
Sweden previously decided to allow entry for travelers from seven third countries, provided that they can present a vaccination passport. This means that vaccination passports issued in Albania, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Israel, Morocco, Monaco and Panama have been recognized by Swedish authorities, therefore arrivals from these countries can enter Sweden without having to be quarantined or tested on arrival.
>> Which COVID-19 vaccines are recognized for travel to Sweden
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 15,313,485 doses have been offered to Sweden, of which 13,547,906 or 88.4 percent have been administered to the population.
In addition, approximately 84.3 percent of the population in Sweden have received the first shot of the COVID vaccine, while 77.8 are fully vaccinated against the virus.
Since January 2020, 14,821 people in Sweden lost their lives due to covid-19 consequences, while 1,143,407 positive cases were registered, as data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals.