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BBC
- 11 October 2025 08:00
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“Did you know that Sweden is the first country in the world where doctors can prescribe?” asks a woman in a white lab coat and a stethoscope hanging around her neck, standing next to a snow-capped mountain. “Because Sweden is full of activities that make you feel good,” she adds.
A new advertising campaign claims that visiting Sweden and embracing Swedish culture can improve your well-being – and it's turning to medical experts to make the case.
A video for Sweden's latest advertising campaign begins with an interesting question.
Video:
"Did you know that Sweden is the first country in the world where doctors can prescribe?" asks a woman in a white lab coat and a stethoscope hanging around her neck, standing as a snow-capped mountain is seen in the background.
"Because Sweden is full of activities that make you feel good," she adds.
As the camera zooms in, she is seen to be half submerged in a frozen lake.
"A classic sauna activates your parasympathetic nervous system for deeper relaxation," says the woman, still fully dressed in her lab coat, as she shares a steamy sauna with several other clients.
“Or maybe you prefer the nightlife?” she asks, holding a pair of sunglasses as the midnight sun illuminates a fjord.
"Here in Sweden, the sun doesn't set for 100 days. Just imagine what 24/7 light therapy could do for you," she says.
Sweden's newest tourism initiative, which launched late last month and is called "The Swedish Recipe," aims to highlight how exploring the Nordic country's vast nature and embracing Swedish culture can improve your well-being — and it's relying on science to back it up.
According to the World Health Organization, studies have shown that increased exposure to nature helps reduce stress, improve mood, and improve cognitive function, and also reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
In a country that has more than 265 islands, 100 lakes, and 5700 nature reserves, travelers are not only allowed to explore Sweden's nature, but are encouraged to do so.
Add to that the concepts of "friluftsliv" or outdoor living, in which Swedes regularly seek out nature; activities that reduce stress.
Campaign design with support from health experts' recommendations
As Steve Robertshaw, senior marketing manager at Visit Sweden, says, these traditional activities designed to "liberate the mind and body" are an important part of the "Swedish DNA."
"We live in a world of turmoil. Many people are struggling to cope and are suffering from stress and anxiety. This initiative creates an opportunity to highlight the benefits of nature and the Swedish lifestyle, as a growing movement supported by research in patient care," says Robertshaw.
To design the campaign, Visit Sweden teamed up with four medical experts based in the US, UK, Netherlands and Germany to identify "five activities in Swedish nature that can improve your health", including: bathing in the forest, gathering food and gazing at the sky. It also mentions "three Swedish habits that can balance your daily life", such as: a quiet coffee break or a dip in a frozen lake after a visit to the sauna.
The campaign lists a series of studies backed by research from groups such as the American Psychological Association, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and the European Environment Agency, and has asked Professor Emeritus Yovnne Foresell at the Karolinska Institute to independently verify each claim.
Although the marketing scheme claims that “Sweden is the first country in the world to prescribe by doctors,” the campaign is not without precedent. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, doctors recommended that tuberculosis patients go to the mountains of Switzerland to be cured. Starting in the 1830s, medical professionals sent those suffering from various respiratory ailments to salt mines throughout Central Europe.
"Imagine a place where birdsong is the only sound that breaks the silence," it reads. "Where you can swim in any lake and enjoy nature. Where you can fall asleep under a starry night sky, far from pollution."
However, the campaign's message of reconnecting with nature may resonate particularly strongly today.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism – which includes activities such as saunas, spas and massages – is estimated to reach $2.1 trillion by 2030.
“We definitely see a lot of travelers looking for these kinds of activities in Sweden,” says Francisca Leonardo, chief executive of Stockholm-based travel company XperienceSthlm. “Over the years, Sweden has done an effective job of advertising its endless nature.”
Nordic trend
This latest travel ad joins a recent spate of campaigns from the Nordic countries. In 2024, a viral video from Oslo's tourism board garnered over 20 million views, as one seemingly unimpressed Norwegian wondered why anyone would want to visit the city.
“You can walk from one side of the city to the other in about 30 minutes,” he said in the video. “Is it a city?”
Last year, the “Sweden (not Switzerland)” campaign relied on a common mistake made by confused travelers. Four years ago, another ad featured a young woman telling a friend all the things she couldn’t find in Sweden, while footage of her showed her traveling to islands, cycling, enjoying coffee, chasing the auroras, and diving into cold lakes.
“I’m just a fan of a good sauna with a cold dip,” says Robertshaw, who recommends the Arctic Baths in Swedish Lapland, the underground sauna at Dalarna Adventure Mines, and Astad Vingard in Halland to travelers.
Leonardo says clients often seek out the Stockholm Archipelago during the summer to be surrounded by water and greenery, to relax from the stress of city life.
“In winter, the Northern Lights and snow-covered landscapes are a draw,” she adds. “During the fall, we take travelers hiking and foraging in the forests, and our Swedish guide, Jana, takes guests on a meditative walk through Stockholm’s questions.”
What “The Swedish Recipe” does particularly effectively is how it employs its characteristic brand of dry satire, which can leave travelers wondering whether or not to take it seriously.
"That 'side effects' part at the end of the video is the thing that made me laugh out loud," says one YouTube commenter.
It shows the unexpected effects of a Swedish vacation, including: a sudden appreciation for pine trees and the urge to hug them, an overdose of blueberry endorphins, sleep so good you feel like a new person, an addiction to delicious tap water, and disorientation when you encounter free public transportation.
There is also a PDF "prescription" that can be downloaded, encouraging "patients" to bring this document to doctors and ask for a visit to Sweden to be prescribed.
“It's curious to see how 'Visit Sweden' is trying to mix Swedish stereotypes with real findings based on research. I think the fact that they have secured qualified doctors to guarantee this 'prescription' is quite funny, especially since Swedes themselves take doctor's orders very seriously!” – said Leonardo.