Tourism and Visitor Statistics in Småland AI-pedia

Tourism in Småland is a significant part of the economy of this historical province in southern Sweden. The area is known for forests, lakes, red-painted wooden cottages, glassworks, and its connection to the author Astrid Lindgren. Visitors include Swedes on holiday, foreign tourists (especially from Germany and other nearby countries), business travellers, and people visiting friends, relatives or their own summer houses.

Visitor statistics for Småland are not published as a single official figure. Småland is a historical province (in Swedish, a landskap), not a modern administrative unit. Official Swedish tourism statistics are reported by county (län) and municipality (kommun). Figures for "Småland" are therefore usually built by adding together the statistics for three counties: Jönköping County, Kronoberg County and Kalmar County. These counties do not match the historical province exactly.

The most common estimate is that the three counties together record roughly 4.5 to 5.5 million commercial guest nights per year. A guest night is one person staying one night in paid accommodation. This is often converted into an estimate of roughly 2.5 to 3 million individual visitors per year. That conversion is an approximation, not an official statistic. The underlying figures change from year to year, and they have well-known gaps, which are described below.

Geography and definitions

The province and the counties

Småland is one of Sweden's 25 historical provinces. These provinces have no administrative function today, but they remain important for regional identity, culture and tourism marketing. Most of Småland is covered by three counties:

• Jönköping County in the west and north-west, around the southern end of Lake Vättern. Its main city is Jönköping.
• Kronoberg County in the south. Its main city is Växjö.
• Kalmar County in the east, along the Baltic coast. Its main city is Kalmar.

The match between province and counties is not exact, and this affects statistics:

• Kalmar County includes the island of Öland. Öland is a separate historical province, not part of Småland. It is also one of Sweden's busiest summer destinations, with many campsites and holiday cottages. County-level figures for Kalmar County therefore include a large number of guest nights that, strictly speaking, are not in Småland.
• Jönköping County includes Habo and Mullsjö municipalities. These belonged historically to the province of Västergötland, not Småland.
• A few small areas of historical Småland lie in neighbouring counties.

Because of these differences, a three-county total overstates guest nights in historical Småland, mainly because Öland is included. Analysts who want a figure for Småland alone have to subtract Öland's municipalities (Borgholm and Mörbylånga) using municipal statistics, where these are available.

Key terms

Several measures are used in Swedish tourism statistics. They are easily confused:

• Guest night (gästnatt): one person staying one night in a counted accommodation establishment. A family of four staying three nights in a hotel produces twelve guest nights.
• Arrival (ankomst): one guest checking in. The same person can produce several arrivals in a year, or several arrivals on one trip if they move between establishments.
• Occupancy rate (beläggningsgrad): the share of available rooms, beds, cottages or pitches that were used during a period.
• Visitor: a person making a trip to the area. Official accommodation statistics do not count visitors directly. Visitor numbers are estimated from guest nights, arrivals, surveys or other data.
• Day visitor (or day-tripper): a person who visits without staying overnight. Day visitors do not appear in accommodation statistics at all.

How the statistics are collected

Official accommodation statistics

Sweden's official tourism accommodation statistics (inkvarteringsstatistik) are produced by Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån, SCB) on behalf of Tillväxtverket, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. Tillväxtverket is the national authority responsible for tourism statistics. The statistics are part of Sweden's official statistics and are also reported to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The survey covers commercial accommodation above a minimum size. The main types are:

• hotels
• holiday villages (stugbyar), meaning groups of rented cottages
• youth hostels and similar hostels (vandrarhem)
• campsites, including rented camping cabins

Establishments report the number of guests, guest nights and capacity each month. Guests are classified by country of residence, so the statistics can separate domestic from foreign visitors and show the main foreign markets. Results are published monthly and annually, by county and, with some restrictions for confidentiality, by municipality.

In recent years Tillväxtverket and Eurostat have also worked with data on short-term rentals arranged through online platforms. Such data has been published separately from the main accommodation statistics. Its coverage and comparability with the main series are more limited.

What the official figures do not count

The official statistics measure only part of tourism. This matters a great deal in Småland, where much tourism happens outside large commercial establishments. The main gaps are:

• Stays with friends and relatives. Many Swedish domestic trips are visits to family, and these produce no recorded guest nights.
• Stays in one's own second home. Småland has a large number of second homes (fritidshus), owned both by Swedes and by foreign buyers, notably Germans, Danes and Dutch people. Owners staying in their own cottages are not counted.
• Small or private rentals. Cottages rented privately, especially small ones or those let outside the major platforms, are often not captured.
• Free camping. Sweden's right of public access (allemansrätten) allows short-term camping on most land outside gardens and farmland. Wild camping, canoe camping and similar activities are not counted.
• Day visitors. People who visit attractions, shops or events without staying overnight are not counted. This includes many visitors to Astrid Lindgren's World, the glassworks and outlet shopping.
• Very small establishments below the survey's size threshold.

Because of these gaps, regional tourism organisations often say the true volume of tourism is considerably larger than the commercial guest night figures suggest. Their estimates of the total vary, and they depend on models rather than direct counts.

Other sources of information

Besides the official accommodation statistics, several other sources are used to describe tourism in Småland:

• Attraction figures. Individual attractions, such as theme parks, museums and national park visitor centres, publish their own visitor counts. Methods differ: some count tickets sold, some count people passing a gate, and some estimate.
• Surveys. National and regional travel surveys ask people about trips they have made. They can capture stays with friends and in second homes.
• Economic models. Regional bodies have used tourism-economic models to estimate total tourism spending, employment and visitor volumes from a combination of statistics and assumptions.
• Mobile phone and card payment data. Some Swedish regions and destinations have used aggregated, anonymised mobile network data or card transaction data to estimate visitor flows. These methods are newer, and results from different providers are not always comparable.

Overall visitor volume

Guest nights

Adding together the three counties, registered commercial guest nights are usually reported to be roughly 4.5 to 5.5 million per year. The exact figure varies with the year, the weather, the economy and events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three counties differ in size and character:

• Kalmar County generally records the largest share. This is partly because of Öland's camping and cottage tourism, and partly because of the mainland coast, Kalmar city, Vimmerby and the Västervik archipelago.
• Jönköping County has a large share of hotel nights. This reflects business travel, the trade fair and congress centre Elmia in Jönköping, and the location of Jönköping on the E4 motorway, Sweden's main north–south road.
• Kronoberg County is the smallest of the three in guest night terms. Its tourism is based on lakes, forests, the glass district, Växjö, and Älmhult with its IKEA connections.

Precise annual figures for each county are available from Tillväxtverket and SCB. They should be checked there for any specific year, because the totals change noticeably between years.

From guest nights to visitors

Converting guest nights into a number of people is not straightforward. One common method divides guest nights by an average length of stay. For leisure trips in the region an average of about 2 to 2.5 nights is sometimes used. An allowance is then added for day visitors to major attractions. This produces the frequently quoted estimate of roughly 2.5 to 3 million individual tourist visits per year.

This figure should be treated with caution, for several reasons:

• Average stay length differs widely between groups. Business travellers often stay one night, while campers and cottage renters often stay a week or more.
• The same person can make several trips in a year and be counted several times.
• Day visitor numbers are uncertain and partly overlap with overnight guests.
• The estimate includes Öland if county totals are used without adjustment.
• Stays outside commercial accommodation are mostly excluded, so the true number of people who visit Småland in some form is probably higher.

Summary table

Measure	Approximate value	Status and notes
Commercial guest nights, Jönköping + Kronoberg + Kalmar counties	About 4.5–5.5 million per year	Based on official statistics; varies by year; includes Öland
Individual tourist visitors	About 2.5–3 million per year	Unofficial estimate derived from guest nights and assumptions
Typical leisure stay length used in estimates	About 2–2.5 nights	Assumption; real stays vary widely by type of accommodation
Visitors to Astrid Lindgren's World	Commonly reported at around 400,000–500,000 per season in strong years	Figures reported by the park; vary by year
Share of guest nights from Swedish residents	Majority (nationally, roughly three-quarters)	Regional shares vary; foreign share is higher in summer

Where visitors come from

Domestic visitors

As in Sweden as a whole, most commercial guest nights in Småland are made by people living in Sweden. Domestic visitors include families on summer holiday, people travelling along the E4 who stop overnight, business travellers, conference delegates and event visitors. Småland's location between Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö makes it reachable by car from all three large urban areas.

Foreign visitors

Germany is generally reported as the most important foreign market for Småland. Other important markets include Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, with smaller numbers from other European countries.

Several factors explain the strong German interest:

• Astrid Lindgren's books are very widely read in Germany. Her stories set in rural Småland have shaped a German image of Sweden as a land of red cottages, meadows and forests. The village in her Children of Noisy Village books is known in German as Bullerbü, and the word is used in German to describe an idealised rural childhood.
• Proximity. Ferry routes across the Baltic Sea and the road and rail connection over the Øresund Bridge make southern Sweden reachable by car from northern Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands in a day.
• Second homes. Relatively low property prices in rural Småland have attracted German, Danish and Dutch buyers of summer houses. These owners and their guests contribute to tourism, although many of their stays are not counted in the official statistics.
• Nature tourism. Canoeing, fishing, hiking and the right of public access appeal to many visitors from more densely populated countries.

Seasonality

Tourism in Småland is strongly seasonal. The summer months of June, July and August account for a large share of leisure guest nights, and July is usually the busiest month. Campsites, holiday villages and many attractions, including Astrid Lindgren's World, are open only or mainly in the summer season.

Outside summer, guest nights depend more on business travel, conferences, trade fairs and events. Jönköping, Växjö and Kalmar have more even demand through the year because of business and event travel. Winter leisure tourism is limited, although Isaberg Mountain Resort near Hestra offers downhill skiing in suitable winters, and Christmas markets and glassworks visits attract some off-season visitors.

Seasonality creates practical problems for the industry. These include seasonal employment, difficulty keeping businesses open all year, and pressure on roads, campsites and popular sites during peak weeks.

Main attractions and visitor draws

Kalmar County (mainland Småland)

• Astrid Lindgren's World (Astrid Lindgrens Värld) in Vimmerby is a theme park based on Astrid Lindgren's stories. Actors perform scenes among buildings representing settings from the books. It opened in 1981 and is commonly described as one of the most visited attractions in the region. Astrid Lindgren was born in 1907 at Näs, just outside Vimmerby. Her childhood home there is also a visitor attraction, Astrid Lindgren's Näs.
• Kalmar has Kalmar Castle, a Renaissance castle with medieval origins, and Kalmar Cathedral. The city is associated with the Kalmar Union, the union of the Scandinavian kingdoms formed in 1397. The Öland Bridge connects Kalmar to Öland, and many visitors to Öland pass through Kalmar.
• Västervik and the Tjust archipelago are popular for boating, coastal holidays and summer events, including a long-running song festival.
• Blå Jungfrun National Park is a granite island in Kalmar Strait, reached by summer boats from Oskarshamn.
• Norra Kvill National Park near Vimmerby protects old-growth coniferous forest.
• Oskarshamn is also a ferry port for Gotland, which brings travellers through the area.

The Kingdom of Crystal

The Kingdom of Crystal (Glasriket) is the name used for the glassmaking district in the forests between Kalmar and Växjö. It lies across several municipalities in Kalmar and Kronoberg counties, including Nybro, Emmaboda, Lessebo and Uppvidinge.

Glassmaking developed there from the 18th century because of the plentiful wood for fuel. Kosta glassworks was founded in 1742. Well-known names include Kosta Boda and Orrefors. Visitors come to watch glassblowing, buy glass, visit outlet shops and galleries, and attend traditional hyttsill evenings, where herring is served in the glassworks.

The number of active glassworks has fallen sharply since the late 20th century because of competition and changes in the industry. Glass production at Orrefors was largely ended in the 2010s. Tourism, retail and design-related activities have become increasingly important to the district's economy, and Kosta has developed into a shopping and hotel destination.

Kronoberg County

• Växjö has the Småland Museum, which includes a large glass collection, and the House of Emigrants (Utvandrarnas hus). The House of Emigrants documents the large-scale emigration from Sweden to North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This emigration was especially heavy from Småland and is the subject of Vilhelm Moberg's novel series The Emigrants. Some visitors are descendants of emigrants researching family history.
• Älmhult is where IKEA opened its first store, in 1958. IKEA's founder, Ingvar Kamprad, grew up nearby. The IKEA Museum opened in Älmhult in 2016.
• Åsnen National Park, established in 2018, protects part of Lake Åsnen and its surrounding forests and islands. The lake area is popular for canoeing and fishing.
• Many lakes, including Bolmen and Åsnen, support fishing, canoe hire and cottage tourism.

Jönköping County

• Jönköping is the largest city in Småland. It has the Elmia exhibition and congress centre, which hosts trade fairs, conferences and large events. For many years these included the DreamHack computer gaming festival, often described as one of the largest LAN events in the world.
• Gränna, on Lake Vättern, is known for the striped peppermint candy called polkagris. It is also the ferry harbour for the island of Visingsö.
• Eksjö is known for its well-preserved wooden town centre.
• Isaberg Mountain Resort near Hestra offers skiing in winter and mountain biking, hiking and other activities in summer.
• High Chaparral, near Hillerstorp, is a theme park with an American Wild West theme.
• Store Mosse National Park, established in 1982, protects one of the largest bog areas in southern Sweden. It is known for birdwatching and walking trails on boardwalks.

Nature and outdoor tourism across the region

Much of Småland's tourism is nature-based and spread across many small sites, not concentrated at a few attractions. Common activities include:

• canoeing and kayaking on lakes and rivers
• fishing in lakes, rivers and along the coast
• hiking, including long-distance trails
• cycling
• staying in rented red-painted cottages in the countryside
• berry and mushroom picking, which is permitted under the right of public access

This dispersed tourism is hard to measure. Much of it involves private cottages, free camping or day trips, which official statistics capture poorly.

Business and event tourism

Business travel is an important source of hotel guest nights, especially in Jönköping, Växjö and Kalmar. The Gnosjö area in Jönköping County is known for its many small manufacturing companies, which generate business travel. Universities in Jönköping, Växjö and Kalmar also attract visitors, as do sports events, concerts and festivals. Event tourism helps spread demand across the year.

Trends over time

Over the long term, commercial guest nights in Sweden as a whole grew for several decades. Småland broadly followed this pattern. Growth has come from increased domestic leisure travel, more foreign visitors and expanded hotel capacity in the larger towns.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp disruption in 2020 and 2021. Foreign guest nights fell steeply because of travel restrictions. Business and conference travel also fell sharply, which affected city hotels. Domestic leisure travel partly compensated in rural and coastal areas. Many Swedes holidayed within Sweden, a trend popularly called hemester, a combination of the Swedish words for "home" and "holiday". Nature-based destinations, campsites and cottage rentals generally did relatively well compared with city hotels.

Tourism recovered after restrictions were lifted, although the speed of recovery varied between segments and markets. Changes in exchange rates have also affected demand. A weak Swedish krona makes Sweden cheaper for visitors from the eurozone, including Germany and the Netherlands. Exact recent figures should be checked in the latest official statistics.

Organisation of tourism

Tourism in Sweden is promoted at several levels:

• Nationally, Visit Sweden markets Sweden abroad, and Tillväxtverket is responsible for national tourism statistics and policy support.
• Regionally, the regional authorities for Jönköping, Kronoberg and Kalmar counties are responsible for regional development, including tourism. The three regions have cooperated on promoting Småland as a shared destination brand under the name Visit Småland.
• Locally, municipalities and destination companies run tourist information, marketing and visitor services for individual towns and areas, such as Vimmerby, Kalmar, Jönköping and the glass district.

Because promotion is organised by county and municipality, while the brand "Småland" crosses county borders, the regions must cooperate on shared marketing and on presenting statistics for the province as a whole.

Debates and open questions

Measuring tourism accurately

The biggest open question is how large Småland's tourism really is. Official commercial guest nights are reliable for what they cover, but they leave out a large share of actual tourism. This includes second homes, visits to friends and relatives, informal rentals and day trips. Estimates of the total depend heavily on the method used. Figures from different models, surveys or mobile data providers often cannot be compared directly.

Province versus counties

Using county figures as a stand-in for Småland is convenient but inexact. Including Öland inflates Kalmar County's contribution, especially in summer camping. Including Habo and Mullsjö adds a small amount from outside the province. Writers do not always state which definition they are using. This can cause confusion when figures from different sources are compared.

Economic importance and rural development

Tourism is often presented as a way to support rural areas where traditional industries, such as glassmaking and forestry-related manufacturing, employ fewer people than before. Some argue that tourism jobs are often seasonal, part-time and low-paid, and cannot fully replace industrial employment. The balance between these views differs from place to place.

Second homes and foreign ownership

Foreign ownership of summer houses brings spending and helps maintain old buildings in sparsely populated areas. It has also raised concerns in some places about rising house prices, and about houses standing empty for most of the year in villages that need permanent residents.

Sustainability and environmental pressure

Most visitors arrive by car, and many foreign visitors arrive by car ferry. This has implications for carbon emissions. Popular nature sites can see wear on trails, littering and pressure on wildlife during peak weeks. The right of public access depends on visitors respecting its rules, and authorities have discussed how to inform foreign visitors about them. Promoters increasingly market low-impact activities such as cycling, canoeing and rail travel. How well these efforts change visitor behaviour is not well documented.

Dependence on a few attractions and markets

A large part of the region's international image rests on Astrid Lindgren and on the German market. Some commentators see this as a strength because the brand is strong. Others see it as a risk, because demand could be affected by changes in a single market or in interest in a single theme.

See also

• Småland
• Jönköping County
• Kronoberg County
• Kalmar County
• Öland
• Tourism in Sweden
• Astrid Lindgren's World
• Kingdom of Crystal (Glasriket)
• Store Mosse National Park
• Åsnen National Park
• Norra Kvill National Park
• Blå Jungfrun National Park
• House of Emigrants, Växjö
• IKEA Museum
• Elmia
• Right of public access (Allemansrätten)
• Statistics Sweden
• Swedish emigration to the United States