October 12, 2025 | 11:42 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of Sweden has launched an innovative tourism campaign that promotes improvement of mental and physical health through traveling to the country. The campaign called 'Prescribe Sweden' collaborates with professional medical teams to help tourists benefit from health recovery in the country.
Interested tourists can fill out a referral form on the Visit Sweden website, to be taken to the doctor as a basis for a doctor-prescribed trip. There are at least three benefits to traveling to the country, relieving stress with the natural atmosphere of the Nordic country, offering space to breathe, and increasing energy.
Activity Recommendations
In addition to balancing daily life, such as the Swedish lifestyle, and exploring the culture and finding places to increase serotonin levels. Such as traveling through the world's longest art exhibition or experiencing pure energy from one of the 5,000+ Swedish metal bands.
One of the medical experts collaborating in the program is Yvonne Forsell at the Karolinska Institute. She compiled a list of recommendations for outdoor activities, lifestyle, and culture. One of them is the Swedish Sauna, which is recommended to enhance relaxation, social connection, and physical recovery.
Regular sauna bathing is associated with a 65 percent decrease in the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia, citing a 2018 study published in the National Medical Library.
Other activities listed include foraging for food in the wild, such as the tradition of picking fresh berries and mushrooms. Foraging for food in the wild supports well-being, through stress reduction, connection with nature, and mental recovery.
Sam Everington, vice president of the British Medical Association, is also listed as a supporting medical professor for this 'prescription.' According to him, spending time in nature and interacting with culture is an evidence-based way to support mental and physical health. "Sweden offers an ideal environment for such care," he said.
However, for all the recommended activities, the Tourism Board stated that they do not cover any costs incurred with the prescription to visit Sweden.
Tourist Responses
Tourists who have visited Sweden shared their opinions on the 'r/Sweden' Reddit forum. One user who visited during a depressive phase, described the country as the best in the world. "Visiting Sweden has taught me what a country ought to look like. I got to pick some mushrooms! They were delicious. I’ve never seen beard moss until I went to the Swedish forest," he wrote, as quoted from Fox News.
Another user who claimed to be Swedish and wrote on the forum, expressed the opposite view.
"Not wishing to be a downer, but it is a bit disheartening to hear our streets being described as clean, pristine and impeccable... I see tons of plastic, paper, cans … pretty much everywhere l go," the user wrote.
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