Visit Sweden has launched a national API (Application Progamming Interface) – an open-data platform designed to make the country’s entire tourism offering accessible in a structured, digital format. The initiative sees Sweden become one of the first nations in the world to centralise its tourism data at a national level.
The API consolidates content from all of Sweden’s 21 regions and structures it using the global data standard schema.org. The result is a flexible, open system where around 14,000 tourism-related data entries – including destinations, accommodations, events, and experiences – can be freely accessed, reused, and integrated into digital services worldwide. Interested parties can join the initiative and find all the necessary information on Visit Sweden’s corporate website.
“By bringing Sweden’s tourism industry together under a shared digital standard, we’re strengthening the country’s international appeal and making it easier for travellers around the world to explore our unique destinations,” said Sara Modig, state secretary to Sweden’s minister for energy and business, Ebba Busch.
The API data can be used by developers, platforms, and businesses to build a wide range of digital services – from AI-powered travel apps and smart recommendation engines to sustainability tracking tools and hyper-local planning features. Data can also be combined with other sources, such as weather information or public transport schedules, enabling richer and more responsive travel experiences.
“This positions Sweden as a competitive, digitally visible destination and opens the door to exciting innovation,” said Nils Persson, chief marketing officer at Visit Sweden.
Because the data is open and licence-free, it is accessible to anyone – from global tech platforms to small, local tour operators. Importantly, each data contributor retains ownership of their content, updating it in one place and distributing it simultaneously across multiple digital channels and enabling real-time information, regardless of the platform used.
The project was developed in close cooperation with Sweden’s regional tourism organisations, municipalities, industry bodies, and individual tourism companies.
“The strength lies not only in the scale of the data, but in the fact that it includes credible, quality content –from small independent businesses to major hotel chains – across the entire country,” said Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden.
“It’s very encouraging to see Sweden’s tourism industry come together in a dedicated API that guarantees effective, long-term digital visibility,” added Jonas Siljhammar, CEO of Visita, Sweden’s hospitality industry association.
This initiative aligns with the Swedish government’s national data strategy and major players contributing data or are in the process of doing so, include Scandic Hotels, Best Western Hotels & Resort, Strawberry, Svenska Turistföreningen (STF), Göta Kanal and Svenska Möten.
