Dubai-based Emirates airline’s service to Stockholm from September 4 is expected to boost Swedish tourism and trade.

The number of international travellers from Sweden is projected to grow from 13.1 million to 18.6 million by 2016. Popular destinations for Swedes include Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, Phuket and Hong Kong.

Dubai has become a popular destination for Swedish holidaymakers with over 15,000 Swedes visiting the city on a yearly basis.

“As well as attracting new trade and investment into Sweden, Emirates will play an important role in supporting the country’s $2.5 billion tourism industry, introducing new audiences to Stockholm and drawing in visitors from a host of points across the globe, including China, Japan, Australia, Korea and numerous points in the Middle East,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ divisional senior VP, Commercial Operations West.
 
“We are delighted that Emirates will shortly operate a direct link between Stockholm and Dubai. This kind of groundwork is exactly what is needed to bolster already excellent trade ties between Sweden and the UAE, in addition to the wider Gulf countries. We also hope that this will enable more people to discover Sweden as an attractive tourist destination,” said Counsellor Lennart Nilsson of the Embassy of Sweden.
 
“The new service will also accelerate the trade ties which have grown between the UAE and Sweden in recent years. Despite the challenges of the global economic downturn, the value of goods Sweden exports to the UAE has risen by over 12 per cent since 2011, totalling over $ 811 million in 2012. With a direct air link, we fully expect this growth pattern to continue, and new business opportunities to be fostered,” Frach added.
 
There are nearly 200 Swedish companies that currently operate in the UAE and about 4,000 Swedish citizens residing in the UAE.

In Stockholm, Emirates will have a team of 20 employees, covering sales, reservations and airport duties, benefiting a number of third party suppliers such as catering companies and ground handlers, in addition to firms that deal with business and leisure traffic. - TradeArabia News Service