Record number of tourists in Stockholm
Stockholm is currently flooded with tourists, 2010 thus promises to be another record year for the tourist industry. Among foreign tourists in Stockholm, the largest number comes from Germany, followed by the UK, and the US as number third. Last year almost ten million hotel nights were sold in Stockholm, and the entire tourism industry in Sweden had a turnover of 250 billion SEK ($33,867,942,264.00), according to the Stockholm Visitors Board.

Film director Jan Halldoff dies
Director and photographer Jan Halldoff was one of the most talked about directors during the 1970’s with films like “Korridoren” and “Jack”. Halldoff was born in 1939 and made his debut in 1966 with “Myten”. But his breakthrough came with “Korridoren”, a film presenting a critical view of the Swedish healthcare system. It was filmed on location at Karolinska Sjukhuset, and brought on a serious debate in Sweden. In 1972, his film “Firmafesten” premiered, which was a commercial success. Halldoff sometimes had a problematic relationship with his critics. “Criticism is over the head of most people,” he once stated. “I talk to the audience. It is the banalities of life that people talk about. Common people live in a different world from critics.” Ingmar Bergman once said of Halldoff: “He is a director who obviously lives his works. There are authors who don’t write their books, they live them. There are even filmmakers who live their films instead of making them. And that’s a pity, because Halldoff is a highly talented guy, who could’ve done masterpieces." Jan Halldoff was 71 years old.

Annika – the woman who guides the image of Sweden
Her name is Annika Rembe and it is she who will increase the world’s interest in Sweden. The other day the government appointed her the new General Director of Svenska Institutet (the Swedish Institute). “It’s great! It suits me perfectly,” Rembe said. When asked what kind of image of Sweden Svenska Institutet is presenting, she explained: “That we are creative and innovative, and find good solutions, especially environmental solutions. Swedish companies are seen as reliable and open, and we have a general good reputation. Another positive thing about Sweden, is that there’s nothing problematic with our history and our politics.”

Victoria – hottest among princesses
Crown Princess Victoria married and became the talk of the town and of the world of royals. According to the America business magazine Forbes, our Victoria is now the hottest princess in the world, and the third most popular royal person (after British princes William and Harry). It is of course the wedding that catapulted Victoria toward the top. “The wedding ceremony had pomp as well as circumstance,” writes Forbes. Victoria’s wedding was the first in Sweden since 1976, and a lot of European royalties were guests.