Sweden has listed the entire country on Airbnb - for free

Includes: natural infinity pools, ocean views and Scandinavian-style decor

sweden airbnb
(Image credit: imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock)

Includes: natural infinity pools, ocean views and Scandinavian-style decor

In a beautiful and ballsy marketing move, Sweden has popped up as a listing on Airbnb - by which we mean, all of Sweden. The tourism board worked alongside the online home rental service to create a free country-wide listing, based around the Swedish legal principle of ‘freedom to roam’.

Freedom to roam, or allemansrätten, is the law that anybody in Sweden has the right to freely explore and enjoy nature. It’s at the core of Visit Sweden’s campaign with Airbnb: nine of the country’s beautiful natural landmarks have been listed for free, available 365 days a year.

From the serene Skuleskogen forest to Sarek in the Laplands, all of the spots are made to look like actual Airbnb listings with a small twist. Details of each listing include accommodation for everyone, the number of bathrooms is merely listed as ‘anywhere’ and room types are ‘open-plan’.

The pages even include wilderness tips like dressing for the weather and boiling stream/lake water before drinking.

sweden airbnb

(Image credit: imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock)

Instead of the usual bright red Book Now feature, prospective guests have the choice to click on a Visit Sweden button. It redirects to a Visit Sweden website packed with interviews, videos and travel planning tips handy for those planning a getaway there soon.

Jenny Kaiser, the USA Country Manager at Visit Sweden, talked to Marie Claire about why they chose to go in this direction: 'As many global travellers are seeking more and more authentic experiences beyond the beaten path, we believe that Sweden is a perfect destination. We don't have [an] 'iconic monument' like Big Ben, Times Square or the Great Wall of China. We have something else...'Allemansrätten', or the Freedom to Roam, which grants all people access to our beautiful and unique nature.'

sweden airbnb

(Image credit: imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock)

It turns out that Visit Sweden had been the ones to approach Airbnb with the concept and she also discussed what it was like collaborating with them on the project.

She said, 'Partnering up with Airbnb was in this case a perfect match. When we presented the idea to them, they fell in love with it as we had and we went for it together. Their context provides a platform where our target group already spend a lot of time searching for their next vacation spot and we can add a new dimension to their brand in return.'

Here's hoping we see more fun, creative travel campaigns soon. Goodbye boring old tube billboards - hello innovation.

Megan C. Hills

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.