Gothenburg – the largest secondary city in the Nordics
Leading international research region
International and diverse business environment
Scandinavia’s leading hub for imports and exports
Strong VFR travel segment
Popular and growing tourist region
Scandinavias most expansive region and leading hub for imports and exports
Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city and the largest secondary city in the Nordic region with one million inhabitants – one of the fastest-growing populations and regions in Europe. On top of this, a hotspot for sustainability and innovation – and ranked as the most sociable city in the world.
According to the European Commission, Gothenburg is one of Europe’s most innovative regions. World-known as the birthplace of Volvo, Gothenburg is a centre for knowledge-intensive industries and advanced services. In the last twenty years, the number of foreign companies has increased steadily in the Gothenburg region, today holding a broad and multifaceted business community with more than 750 industries.
Construction, transport and logistics, ICT, automotive, creative and cultural industries, life sciences and cleantech are examples of successful industries.
In addition to the Volvo Group, Gothenburg is also home to some of the largest companies in the world: AstraZeneca, Akzo Nobel, Ericsson, Mölnlycke Health Care, SCA/Essity and SKF.
The Gothenburg region is Sweden’s foremost logistics hub. It is also Scandinavia’s leading hub for both imports and exports of goods, boasting the Nordic countries’ largest port, with a strategic location at the epicentre of Scandinavia.
This growing region is also becoming more and more international, every fifth employee works for a foreign-owned company and every fifth resident is foreign-born. Gothenburg has three universities with over 60,000 students, of which many are from abroad.
In 2023, 5.6 million guest nights were registered in all forms of commercial accommodation in the greater Gothenburg region, plus 10 per cent compared to 2022. In addition to this many overnight stays are made at noncommercial forms of lodging and visits to friends and relatives.
Gothenburg is increasingly popular as a tourist, meeting and convention destination and grows in terms of both Swedish and international visitors.
The city is also one of Europe’s strongest event destinations and holds a large number of both national and international events – yet another traffic driver.
Fun fact! In 2021, Göteborg made the list “World's Greatest Places” by TIME Magazine. A tribute to destinations that amid extraordinary circumstances, found ways to adapt, build and innovate offering new and exciting experiences.
For more information about the region visit Göteborg & Co and Business Region Göteborg.
Annual events
World of handball /Partille Cup* – largest youth handball tournament in the world, 1400 teams from 80 countries (1-6 JUL 2024)
World Youth Games* – largest track & field meet in Europe (5-7 JUL 2024)
Gothia Cup* – world’s biggest/most international youth soccer event, 1900 teams from 80 countries (14-20 JUL 2024)
WayOutWest* - one of Scandinavia’s hottest international music festivals (8-10 AUG 2024)
World Masters Athletics Championships 2024 – athletes from around the globe in the 25th World Masters (13-25 AUG 2024)
Gothenburg Culture Festival* – one of the largest culture festivals in the Nordics, with ca 1200 free-of-charge activities (29 AUG - 1 SEP 2024)
Christmas at Liseberg* – thousands of lights, Christmas market and activities (mid NOV 2024 - sart JAN 2025)
* = yearly events
Official event calendar: https://www.goteborg.com/en/events
An international frontrunner in sustainability
Gothenburg is an international frontrunner in sustainability and green solutions, highly committed to making a change for the better, both environmentally, socially and economically. Practically all of the hotels in the city and many of its restaurants are environmentally certified, and over 90 per cent of all public transport is powered by renewable energy.
When western Sweden was picked as one of 52 places to go in 2020, The New York Times wrote that “It’s hard to talk about sustainability without talking about Scandinavia. Few destinations offer as many new opportunities to witness how the region’s green goals are playing out as Sweden, which seeks to free itself of fossil fuels by 2050. Western Sweden feels like ground zero.”
For the seventh year in a row, Gothenburg is named the world’s most sustainable destination according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index. In the autumn of 2023, Gothenburg was once again named to the leading position in comparison with approximately 100 other cities participating in the ranking.
Göteborg Landvetter Airport
Western Sweden’s gateway to the world
Landvetter Airport is Western Sweden’s largest airport, Sweden’s second-largest airport and the fourth largest airport in Scandinavia, right after the capital airports. The airport has a catchment area of about 3 million inhabitants. Göteborg Landvetter airport handles international and domestic flights with a strong emphasis on travel to European hubs and cities, with a mixture of network-, low cost- and regional carriers, operating at the airport. Landvetter is also an important freight airport.
We are in the process of adapting the airport to the current and growing passenger demand. At the same time building for the future, a cutting-edge airport city is taking shape, with opportunities for the companies of tomorrow to work and grow. Göteborg Landvetter Airport today is a welcoming, accessible airport and will continue to be so in the future. It will be a natural meeting place, a role model in sustainability and the obvious airport of choice for western Sweden.
Contact
For market insights or route opportunities contact Katja Sihlbom or Swedavia Aviation Business: aviationbusiness@swedavia.se
Katja Sihlbom
Business Development Manager - Europe
Stockholm Arlanda Airport
