Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Swedish 2016 Must-See Destinations
The graffiti beehive.
Photo: Linus Hallgren
This is where Sweden begins Sigtuna is Sweden’s first town, founded in 970 by Erik Segersäll. His vision was to establish an international meeting place, a nation under one God and one King. It was unlike anything seen before, and both the town planning and the idea for a modern hub remain pretty much unchanged. By Malin Norman | Photos: Destination Sigtuna
Today, the town is Sweden’s fourthlargest hotel destination with around 800,000 overnight stays per year, and the municipality hosts the country’s largest international airport, Stockholm Arlanda. “You really shouldn’t miss where it all started,” says tourism director Camilla Zedendahl. “Sigtuna is where Sweden begins, historically and geographically if you fly to Arlanda. It’s fantastic to see and experience the historic sites and beautiful castles, which are all really easily accessible for visitors.” With a steadily growing tourism industry, Zedendahl emphasises the important ongoing environmental collaboration in the region. Since 2009, Destination 72 | Issue 84 | January 2016
Sigtuna has been working on a shared vision for sustainable development with partners such as the airport, airlines, hotels and conference centres. “We have a big responsibility in terms of environmental and social impact and we want to make a difference, together. Instead of competing, we need to be brave, dare to be different and remain visionaries for the future, a tradition and way of thinking that dates back to when Sigtuna was founded in 970.“
Electric cars, hens and bees As a result of the ecological collaboration, Sigtuna is now one of the most sustainable destinations in the world, having recently been named one of the
Global Top 100. Behind the initiative are major players TravelMole.com, Vision on Sustainable Tourism, Totem Tourism, and Green Destinations. The town has also been certified as a Fairtrade City and received the Ecologistic Award for its new and modern approach to protecting the environment. Visitors at the hotels and venues will certainly notice the efforts made to become a sustainable destination. For example, there is a growing number of electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles available, increasing demand for electric taxis from the airport and more public transport options. And this spring, one of the most important projects is waste reduction. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, as much as 1.2 million tonnes of food waste is generated in the country and around one million hens are burnt every year instead of being used for food. In a new initiative, chefs at hotels around Sigtuna and