greatest places

Skövde: Sweden’s Rising Tourism Hotspot in 2025

CEO Letter November 2025 - Newsletter from Next Skövde's CEO Mats Olsson

Skövde’s November 2025 Newsletter: A Destination on the Rise

Tourism Reaches New Heights

Summer 2025 marked Sweden’s strongest tourist season ever, with guest nights increasing by 3.4% overall and foreign guest nights surging by an impressive 8.8%. The global travel enthusiasm has now returned to levels surpassing 2019.

The key focus now is to enhance international outreach, develop year-round products, and secure capacity for future peak seasons.

Destination Growth

Skövde’s Impressive Tourism Performance

Skövde continues to strengthen its position as an attractive destination. During the summer months of June–August 2025, 76,376 guest nights were recorded, representing a 7.2% increase compared to the previous year.

This marks the second consecutive year of over 7% growth, with results being the strongest since 2018, before the pandemic altered travel behaviors.

The increase stems from strong events, a diverse range of activities for all ages, and growing curiosity about Skövde as a travel destination.

Key Highlights

  • New team member Johanna Wichers joins Next Skövde, bringing extensive destination development experience
  • Nuggets Entertainment’s game ”RV There Yet?” sells 1.3 million copies in just over a week
  • Skövde Food Festival receives 95% positive overall rating
  • Spooky Skövde offers Halloween activities for the whole family
  • Sweden Game Conference 2025 reinforces Skövde’s position as a gaming metropolis

Upcoming Initiatives

Press Paus to Play 2026 Campaign

Next Skövde will launch a new campaign targeting families and young adults, positioning Skövde as an attractive weekend destination. The campaign will use the GoToHUB booking platform to package local experiences.

Winter and Sports Highlights

Billingen: Official Vasaloppet Center

Billingen Skövde is now an official Vasaloppet Center, guaranteeing high-quality facilities for cross-country skiing, cycling, and running. A winter campaign is planned to attract Danish tourists and national visitors.

Next Skövde continues to work on enhancing the city’s attractiveness, bringing curiosity, playfulness, and innovation to every initiative.

greatest places
Welcome to the greatest places in Sweden
© 2025 greatestplacesinsweden.com