In 2010, Sweden is reaching out to travelers attuned to "eco cool" as lifestyle choice that influences the way they live, work and travel. Sweden is an ecologically oriented country that invites travelers to enjoy its sophisticated and natural assets while leaving behind the smallest of carbon footprints. Equipped with more than 500 miles of bike lanes and with 75 percent of the population using public transportation, its long-term focus on environmental issues earned Stockholm (www.stockholmtown.com) the first European Green Capital Award in 2009 granted by the European Commission. Stockholm's transportation system runs on renewable fuels. The city's eco-labeled hotels now bear the Swan symbol that ensures that such sustainability practices as biologically degradable washing and cleaning products, water-saving toilets and low-energy light bulbs. Every property in the Scandic hotel chain has the Swan designation. The 30,000-island archipelago is one of Stockholm's "must sees." On the island of Djurgården, visitors can picnic in the world's first Ecopark and catch such attractions as the Vasa Museum, Skansen and Junibacken. Getting intimate with Stockholm's deepest nature comes naturally during a guided tour on foot or by kayak.
2010 also marks the 20th anniversary of Sweden's ICEHOTEL (www.icehotel.com) in Swedish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, in the village of Jukkasjärvi. This eco-friendly complex, with 62 rooms, an ICEBAR, restaurant and entertainment center, is reconstructed each year from the raw elements of ice and snow, and it plans to be CO2-negative (to produce more renewable energy than it consumes) by 2015. Soft snow and river ice were the building materials used by an international team of juried artists to create this year's suites. The ICEHOTEL is open from December through April.
Last fall, Sweden's first marine national park, Kosterhavet Marine National Park, opened on the country's west coast near the Norwegian border. The park enables visitors to explore the marine environment. Expeditions aboard marine research vessels, seal safaris, diving excursions, sea kayaking, and island cycling top the list of park activities. Eco-tourism also rules at Wauglen Vildmark (www.wauglen.sw), a green hostel that hosts adventure trips through the Kynnefjäll wilderness region.
In 2010, a slew of eco-friendly holidays bearing the ecologically sanctioned Nature's Best accreditation will be launched in West Sweden (www.westsweden.com). Gothenburg, the regional gateway for West Sweden, is another of the country's green hubs. It is replete with coastal and forest walking paths, rock climbing venues, and more ecologically sound playgrounds. Located between the Swedish coast and countryside, Gothenburg (www.goteborg.com) has four Michelin-starred restaurants. The cuisine is fundamentally Nordic cooking combined with flavors from around the globe. And a slew of recently introduced culinary inroads such as lobster safaris and oyster tastings, in a hot tub, have amplified the region's eco-culinary profile.
Malmo, gatekeeper to the region of Skane in south Sweden, made the 2009 list of "Top 12 Fast Cities" by Fast Company magazine, which profiles business initiative and innovation. Among the reasons cited: Malmo has targeted 2010 for a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, renewable energy already powers most of the city's Western Harbor, and bike-friendly roads enable residents to cut fuel consumption. Malmo's Slottsträdgården (organic garden complex) Café is one of an ever-increasing number of restaurants cafes, and boutiques that makes Malmo a "Fair Trade City" designation by The European Fair Trade Association. It is an "earth watch" group that promotes the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards for suppliers. The recently opened Barista Fair Trade Coffee Café is also a popular spot. All of its coffee, tea, chocolate and sugar are fair trade while all dairy products and juices have the eco-label Krav. For more information, visit www.skane.com.
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