This country is really hoping tourists find it boring
Normally when a tourism board is trying to show off a country, it's all fast cuts, adrenaline-pumping music and sweeping shots of nature.
Not so for Sweden.
In a playful new marketing campaign, Visit Sweden wants visitors to find it really boring.
READ MORE: Phuket too busy? Try this neighbouring island where everything is cheaper and more relaxed
Sweden has launched a unique tourism campaign. Getty
It is using research which shows people need boredom.
"According to American author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, it allows the brain to rest and recharge – sparking creativity and clarity," said Visit Sweden in a statement.
"Think about it: how often do your best ideas appear while sorting laundry, standing in the shower or driving down a long, empty road?
"Our lives are filled with constant input, making moments of genuine mental rest increasingly rare. That's why researchers are paying more attention to the upsides of a moderate dose of boredom."
With a vast country that is sparsely populated, there is plenty of space to just chill and contemplate.
READ MORE: One thing you should 'absolutely not' do if you're heading on a cruise, say regulars
There is a lot of open, empty space. Getty
Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden told The Independent: "There are plenty of things to do in Sweden. But one of the best might be to come here, embrace the silence, and just be bored."
The tourism board recommends a host of activities such as staying in a remote cabin, heading to the Arctic Circle for the Northern Lights, snowshoe hiking, and ice fishing.
Another option - driving: "No traffic lights. No traffic jams. Sometimes, not even a radio signal. Just you, the road, and an overwhelming number of trees."
READ MORE: Quintessential Aussie holiday town makes waves on global list
Ice fishing is a great, mindless activity. Roger Borgelid / Visit Sweden
Visit Sweden has run unusual campaigns in the past.
In 2021, it launched a tongue-in-cheek promotion that featured 21 towns, lakes, beauty spots and even a Unesco Heritage site, which have been co-opted by furniture giant Ikea for their product names.
The idea was to remind people that "these names with waste bins, sofas, bath towels, block candles and shelf systems' are, in fact, real places".
One of the examples was Bolmen, a tranquil lake in the Småland, which was also the name of an Ikea toilet brush.
This story originally appeared on Stuff and was republished with permission.
