Call on mig

Sweden – Anyone with a burning question about Sweden can now call The Swedish Number and speak to a random Swedish citizen.

• Sweden is the first country to introduce its own telephone number
• Developed by the Swedish Tourist Association, the scheme invites ordinary Swedes to become ambassadors for their country

Following its launch on 6 April 2016, The Swedish Number has been called over 41,000 times from countries including the US, UK, Turkey and Australia. The campaign marks 250 years since Sweden became the first country to create a constitutional law to abolish censorship.

By enabling ordinary citizens to speak openly and honestly about their country, The Swedish Number reveals more about the culture and history of Sweden and the attitudes and interests of its citizens than any polished campaign could. 

Iceland’s tourism board launched a similar scheme in May 2015 that invited people to send questions to representatives of Iceland’s seven regions via social media.