The turnover for 2009 in the sector increased with 6% compared to the year before and this contributed to many new jobs. This is the conclusion in a recent report from the Tillväxtverket - the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. The trend is clearly positive for the tourist industry in Sweden.
Tourism contributed a great deal to the overall economy by creating new jobs and stronger export income in 2009. The total turnover of the Swedish tourist industry in 2009 increased with 6% to 251.7 billion SEK (26.1 billion euro). If we look at the amount of consumption from tourism in Sweden, it increased with 13% to 93.6 billion SEK ($330,883,275,218.29) during 2009. These are quite substantial figures in the Swedish economy. The total consumption from tourists in Sweden was bigger than Sweden's export of cars, iron and steel combined.

New job creation
Tourism is labor-intensive, which naturally means a strong increase in jobs should the sector expand. Since 2000, the tourist industry has contributed with almost 36,000 new full-time jobs - an increase with almost 30%. Compare this with the total employment in Sweden, which increased with merely 4% during the same period. In 2009 the number of full-time employees in the tourist sector increased with 12,000 to around 160,000 employees - an increase with 8% compared to 2008. The report for 2009 shows that tourism has earlier not been as significant for the Swedish economy. During the period 2000-2009, the export value of tourism (consumption of foreign tourists in Sweden) increased with slightly more than 130%. Compare this with Sweden's accumulated export value of commodities and services, which during the period 2000-2009 increased with 43%. The director general of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, Christina Lugnet, optimistic about the future of tourism in Sweden.
“According to international evaluations, global travel will grow with around 4% annually until 2020. Sweden has good chances to take part in this growth. We have attractive destinations and good facilities and also the nature and culture that both tourists and business travelers appreciate,” Lugnet said.

For more info see www.tillvaxtverket.se