Stockholm an open minded and welcoming destination

This week, the annual Pride Festival takes off and more visitors than ever are expected.
Stockholm Pride is the biggest regular event in Stockholm in terms of number of participating individuals and it’s also the major Pride festival in Scandinavia.

The event grows every year in terms of turnover and number of participants and in particular the number of international visitors to Stockholm. A result of years of deliberate marketing efforts towards an international audience.

- The Hilton Hotels have for several years been involved in LGBT-events internationally. Therefore it’s natural for us in Stockholm to similarly promote LGBT-tourism to the capital of Sweden. The fact that Stockholm has succeeded to position itself as one of the top 5 destinations within this target market makes us very proud, says Henrik Friskopp, Director Operations at the Hilton Hotel Slussen which is this year’s Official Pride Hotel.

- Stockholm is today a well known destination committed to openness, diversity and respect. These are important core values of most travelers today, but for gay and lesbian travelers it's crucial for the choice of destination. It's an important target group for us and we work actively to strengthen the image of Stockholm as open minded and welcoming, says Christina Guggenberger, Project Manager for Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network at Stockholm Visitors Board.

The network's activities has given Stockholm increased international visibility and the city now has a prominent position as one of the most attractive city break destinations.

- By having been involved in several global campaigns through the network, we have gained greater visibility to this affluent audience, says Anders Lindström, PR-Director at Scandinavian Airlines, SAS.

 Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network started in 2005 and  is a co-operation project managed by Stockholm Visitors Board. The network is active in marketing and product development of Stockholm. Some 20 partners involved representing hotels, attractions, transport companies and restaurants.