Sweden is taking a fun but firm approach to preserving its identity, becoming the first country to file for a trademark for its name. Sweden hopes that by making this change, it will avoid misunderstandings among international travellers who want to visit genuine Sweden but wind up in other areas with that name. Sweden has launched an online petition to support its application, inviting people all across the world to back the notion.
The trademark application, submitted with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, focuses on a common problem: travellers mistaking named destinations for the actual thing. There are presently eight “Swedens,” multiple “Germanys,” dozens of “Americas,” and even 34 “Londons” worldwide, which could lead to travel difficulties.
Visit Sweden, the country’s official tourism organisation, believes it is time to correct the record, guaranteeing that no one books a trip to “Sweden” only to find themselves far from Nordic scenery and fika culture.
According to a recent Visit Sweden poll, 45% of travellers have encountered duplicate place names while arranging vacations, and 8% have arrived at the wrong location entirely.
