In this country, of course, we know that Switzerland and Sweden are a world apart. Well, now you can see it in both countries Northern lights, but some have fancy watches and others have fancy people and some have the Matterhorn and others have, well, that thing. However, because not everyone is as great a country expert as we are, Visit Sweden, the tourism organization of, yes, Sweden, recently started an attempt to finally have one clear distinction to accomplish. The first draft of the official agreement between the two countries has already been submitted, according to a press release. And further: “We will communicate things like sandbanks, rooftop bars and silence.” In the meantime, Switzerland should concentrate on banks, mountain peaks and loud noises like yodeling.
The basically hilarious campaign may be interpreted by many as a harmless marketing campaign, but it should rather be seen as a cry for help and a contribution to promoting basic knowledge of geography. People overseas still confuse Switzerland with Sweden. The Swiss flag was raised on the New York Stock Exchange during the IPO of the digital music retailer Spotify. US President Joe Biden even stated last year that he had spoken to Switzerland about joining NATO (although he immediately corrected himself). And a recent study commissioned by Visit Sweden, which may not have quite Swiss precision, found that half of Americans are unsure about their ability to recognize differences between Swedish and Swiss cultures.
But before we make fun of the stupid Americans again: Where exactly are North Dakota and North Carolina? And what is there to see in Missouri and Mississippi?
The author likes Switzerland about as much as the Swedes.
(Photo: Bernd Schifferdecker (illustration))