Tourism in Gothenburg

Hello everyone! Your broads abroad just visited Gothenburg, Sweden.FullSizeRender-2  We wanted to discuss tourism in Scandinavia through our travels. We stayed at the First G Hotel located within the central station of Gothenburg. Some things we particularly liked about the First Hotel G, were the traditional Swedish snacks that were set up in the lobby. One day it was pickled herring with a small slice of potato. Everyday they offered free buffet breakfast that was included with your stay in the hotel. This included meats, cheese, eggs, and traditional Swedish cuisine. Most U.S. hotels charge extra for breakfast. The average hotel room size in the U.S. is about 325 square feet according to Bjorn Hanson in USAToday. Our room at the First Hotel G was approximately 258 square feet. This is significantly smaller, but common for European hotels. To match the size of the room, the beds were twin size instead of queen size which is standard in the U.S. One difference we noticed between our hotel in Gothenburg and California Hotels, was the water pressure in the shower. Water pressure in California is a lot lower due to drought regulations in California. After speaking with a Swedish native, we discovered that most hotels in Sweden do not have conference centers, spas, and extra premium amenities.

On our first night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bee Restaurant, where we conversed with other patrons in the restaurant. To our surprise, the guests on either side of us were visiting from England. Later we found out that the majority of tourists come from neighbouring countries such as Denmark, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, and Finland.

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While staying at the hotel we discovered more about their training, and education backgrounds for the industry. In the United States, a college degree is not required for entry level positions. A bachelor’s degree is recommended for higher level positions such as a manager position and a Master’s Degree can only make a candidate look even better. Employee training programs usually depend on the hotel chain. Some hotels may have training for a week, some may have it for a month depending on the position. Most hotel chains in the U.S. have management training programs that last 6 months to a year. The University of Gothenburg, the third oldest Swedish University, offers a two year Master of Science degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management. Thesis writing and a final year project are part of the course. The hospitality program of the university is delivered through the School of Business, Economics and Law. The program covers subjects including Tourism and hospitality law, managerial economics, event management, cultural tourism, etc. The final year project is based on applied research that is conducted under the supervisions of a faculty member. An example of a training program in Sweden is the Nordic Choice Hotels Management Trainee program. Like most U.S. hotels, they want extraordinary talents to join their Management Trainee and Group Trainee programs. The program lasts for 12 months where the employees learn the ins and outs of the company and it gives them the chance to jumpstart their careers.

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A little about where we visited:

According to the Swedish Trade & Invest Council, in the city of Gothenburg which is already home to the headquarters of major corporations such as Volvo and Saab Technologies, will strengthen its position as a national growth engine, The research institute BAK Basel ranks Gothenburg among the top 10 out of 117 European metropolitan areas in terms of future growth potential. As the region as a whole is experiencing growth, so is the hotel and restaurant industry. The number of people employed in the sector has increased by more than 58% between 2000 and 2013. Market demand of the hotel industry is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.6% per year between 2015 and 2017. The urban development that is currently taking place in Gothenburg is expected to prompt growth in both the business and leisure segments. Given a decent economic climate and GDP development in Sweden, there is a high probability that room sales will rapidly accelerate between 2017 and the city anniversary celebrations in 2021 with all the events happening in the city. Also, the number of people employed in manufacturing has increased in the Gothenburg area while decreasing in other parts of the country. With the creation of the Lindholmen Science Park, Gothenburg business climate is knowledge-intensive and thereby attracts employees, consultants and visitors from all over the world.

Until next time, we are your broads abroad. Look out for our Tourism in Stockholm post coming soon!

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With our waiter at Bee restaurant