Stop Confusing Us With Switzerland, Sweden Says

Have you ever mistaken Sweden for Switzerland?

If you have, you're not alone. According to a survey from VisitSweden, each year around 120,000 people ask Google if Sweden and Switzerland are the same country.

And more than one in 10 Brits said Switzerland was the home of Ikea and ABBA — but both are actually from Sweden.

The confusion is worse in the US, where half of Americans who did the survey said they couldn't tell the difference between Swedish and Swiss culture.

And about 10% of all people surveyed said they had booked (or almost booked) a flight, tour, or activity in the wrong country, thinking they were traveling to Sweden or Switzerland.

Even US President Joe Biden famously confused the two, when he mistakenly said Switzerland was joining NATO instead of Sweden.

So to clear up any confusion, the Swedish tourist board has released a new campaign called "Sweden (not Switzerland)."

"'Sweden (not Switzerland)' is a campaign with the purpose of ending the confusion once and for all," the campaign's website says.

"Even if we are two beautiful, European countries with names beginning with 'Sw,' we are definitely different."

For example, the site notes, Switzerland is famous for yodeling, but Sweden is famous for "silence" — in other words, you can enjoy the sounds of nature.

And while Switzerland is known for its money and banks, Sweden is known for its sandbanks, with its long coastline and many lakes.

And Switzerland may have luxury watches, but Sweden has a "different kind of luxury — forgetting about time," meaning you can have so much fun that you don't notice how much time has passed, the campaign says.

Switzerland is used to being confused with other countries. Before it changed its name to Eswatini, the African country Swaziland was also often confused with Switzerland.

Questions

1.

Are there any countries that you often get mixed up?

2. What would you say your country is best known for?

3. Is there anything that foreigners often get wrong about your country?

4. What parts of your culture do you think deserve more attention or promotion?

5. To travel is to discover everyone is wrong about other countries. — Aldous Huxley. What are your thoughts on this statement?