Swedish Travellers Research Articles

Viewing and Walking

During the eighteenth century, London became the largest city in Europe and attracted many foreign visitors, and the task here is to analyze a set of Swedish travelers. Sweden was a predominately rural country, but urban development was an integrated aspect of its mercantilist policy; towns were the outcome of an active state promoting trade. With such an intellectual background, the Swedes going to Britain viewed London accordingly, as seen from above. However, these visitors also walked the streets of the British capital and saw an everyday life different from their Swedish setting. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between these two ways of approaching London.

Estimating the true incidence of campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis in the European Union, 2009.

We estimated the true incidence of campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis in the European Union (EU) in 2009. The estimate was based on disease risks of returning Swedish travellers, averaged over the years 2005-2009, and anchored to a Dutch population-based study on incidence and aetiology of gastroenteritis. For the 27 EU member states the incidence of campylobacteriosis was about 9·2 (95% CI 2·8-23) million cases, while the incidence of salmonellosis was 6·2 (95% CI 1·0-19) million cases. Only 1/47 (95% CI 14-117) cases of campylobacteriosis and one 1/58 (95% CI 9-172) cases of salmonellosis were reported in the EU. The incidence rate of campylobacteriosis in EU member states varied between 30 and 13 500/100 000 population and was significantly correlated with the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in broiler chickens. The incidence rate of salmonellosis in EU member states varied between 16 and 11 800/100 000 population and was significantly correlated with the prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis in laying hens.

Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions

This paper explores whether gender-based commuting gaps change in Sweden in times when policies at various levels seek to promote both spatially extended labour markets and gender equality. We use Swedish national travel survey data from 1994–1995 and 2005–2006 to explore inequality in terms of distance, time use, speed, and car use. Special attention is paid to the urban regions of Malmö and Göteborg, as they display large and diverging changes over time. Results indicate that both women and men in Sweden increased daily commuting distance over the period, and that the gender gap slightly decreased. Both women and men spent more time commuting than using faster transport systems to extend their labour market access. Women still commute by slower means of transport than do men, and this did not change substantially. At the regional level, average commuting distances for women and men converged in the Malmö region, in contrast to increased divergence in the Göteborg region. Convergence in Malmö was mainly associated with women extending their daily travel, while divergence in Göteborg depended on men extending theirs. Changed access to cars does not seem to be the main explanation of the observed difference in commuting distance between women and men in the two regions indicating that gender-related changes are largely contingent on region-specific factors.

More or less travel: personal mobility trends in the Swedish population focusing gender and cohort

This study explores mainstream trends and countertrends in the development of spatial mobility in the Swedish population. Tracing incipient change in travel behaviour is important for understanding the preconditions for social and environmental sustainability. We use data from the Swedish national travel surveys, conducted intermittently over almost 30years (1978–2006), covering both daily and long-distance mobility. International travel is included for the last decade. With respect to mainstream trends, the results primarily concern the continuation of the spatial extension of overall mobility and of the motorization and individualization of travel modes, as well as an upward convergence between women’s and men’s mobility. When it comes to countertrends, substantial reductions in daily mobility and long-distance domestic travel are observed among the young.

The People's Home goes Gulliver: Sweden and the 2004 tsunami crisis

Ranging from epidemic outbreaks and natural disasters to terrorist attacks, the modern world has witnessed radical political change in recent years. The tourism industry is no exception, and we see policy-makers, scholars and officials working hard to mitigate the negative economic, political and societal effects of tourism-related incidents, not only on destination countries, but increasingly also on sending countries. Some of these changes and reforms have been more concrete and immediate in sending countries. In a country like Sweden, for example, we see the creation of an independent Catastrophe Commission ( Katastrofkommission ) charged with investigating the Swedish tsunami response and producing an extensive final report of its findings; the election of a new centre-right government in September 2006 and the creation of a new consular catastrophe law in August 2010 aimed at better regulating Swedish travel abroad. Using Sweden as an example, the present article explores some of the ways in which questions of authority, security, identity and power intertwine in a post-tsunami Sweden bent on protecting an increasingly mobile and exposed populace touristing beyond its borders. This article also looks briefly at how Sweden’s young consular catastrophe law can be interpreted in light of this heightened move to protect.

Dengue fever in returned Swedish travelers from Thailand

The dengue viruses (DENV) are endemic in the tropical and sub-tropical countries and cause the most common arthropod-borne viral disease in humans. Travelers visiting endemic areas may both acquire and spread DENV infections, and this is the reason why prevention of mosquito bites is of crucial importance. Dengue fever (DF) has become the most common cause for tropical fever in Swedish tourists. Swedish data from 1995 to 2010 show that the number of DF cases has increased since the beginning of 2000; partly due to improved diagnostics based on IgM detection, and partly due to an increase in the number of tourists traveling to, and between, endemic areas. Young adults aged 20–29 are mostly affected, and epidemiological data indicate increased incidence rates from 2008 onwards. Our data pose a call for attention when traveling to DENV endemic areas as well as an increased awareness among physicians when treating returning travelers.

Evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Swedish travellers

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria have become valuable tools for the diagnosis of malaria in both endemic and non-endemic areas. During a 7-year period, first the MalaQuick rapid test and then the NOW Malaria test, were evaluated by well-trained laboratory technicians in a university hospital laboratory of parasitology. A total of 635 blood samples were selected from 4731 blood specimens obtained from travellers at the emergency department, at wards and at out-patient clinics. The samples were analysed by microscopy and RDT. Malaria parasites were detected in the blood films of 134 (21%) samples. The sensitivity of the RDT for Plasmodium falciparum was 97.7% (84 of 86 samples) with a negative predictive value of 99.6%. The two false-negative results were associated with low levels of parasitaemia. For non-falciparum species the sensitivity was only 58.3% (28 of 48 samples). Based on the excellent ability of the RDTs to detect P. falciparum infections, we recommend the use of the NOW Malaria test as a complement to microscopy in the laboratory.

Changes in Alcohol Availability, Price and Alcohol-related Problems and the Collectivity of Drinking Cultures: What Happened in Southern and Northern Sweden?

Aims: The aims of this study were to study whether alcohol-related self-reported problems follow the same pattern of changes in alcohol consumption in southern Sweden, assumed to be affected by a decrease in Danish spirits tax and by an increase in Swedish travellers’ import quotas, and to study whether the results obtained for southern and northern Sweden follow the predictions of Skog's theory of collectivity of drinking cultures. Methods: Analysis was carried out on a sample from the Swedish general population from southern and northern Sweden separately. Two indices such as impaired self-control/dependent behaviour and extrinsic problems for alcohol-related problems were computed and analysed in terms of sex, age, income and alcohol consumption level. Results: Although there were no huge changes in the number of persons reporting alcohol-related problems, the general trend in data for various subpopulations was a decrease in the southern site and an increase in the northern site. In the northern site, the increase in alcohol consumption among men also showed an increase in alcohol-related problems. However, various population subgroups changed in different directions and did not move in concert over the population distribution. Conclusions: Analysis confirmed that alcohol-related problems, according to the two indices used, followed a similar pattern to alcohol consumption, but less divergent. A version of Skog's theory applied on alcohol-related problems could not confirm that alcohol-related problems did not change collectively within the population.

Alcohol Consumption in Southern Sweden after Major Decreases in Danish Spirits Taxes and Increases in Swedish Travellers’ Quotas

Background: In 2003, Denmark lowered its tax on spirits, and in 2004, Sweden increased its traveller import quotas. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine whether these two changes increased self-reported alcohol consumption in southern Sweden, which is located near Denmark. Method: Data were collected through telephone interviews with the general population between 2003 and 2006. Individuals aged 16–80 years were interviewed. Some lived in southern Sweden, others in the northern region, which was assumed to be unaffected by the policy changes and was thus used as a control site. Analyses were performed for the total population as well as by sex, age, socio-economic group and consumption pattern. Results: The expected results were not found: alcohol consumption in southern Sweden had not changed. The few statistically significant changes found in southern Sweden indicated decreases. In the north, however, consumption seemed to have increased. Conclusion: In addition to the two policy changes mentioned above, other changes seem to have affected alcohol consumption in Sweden. It is possible, however, that the policy changes have affected population groups not reached by the survey, and thus other types of data need to be analysed before drawing any far-reaching conclusions.

Product bundling strategies in Swedish markets: links to business orientation and perceived effects on consumer influence

AbstractProduct bundling is an increasingly important marketing strategy within many industries, and consumer influence on companies' ranges of product bundles is, thus, becoming an important issue. The aim of this study was to investigate product bundling strategies consumers are exposed to by some selected companies in the Swedish automobile, travel and banking industries. Bundling strategies were considered in relation to business orientation as well as the consumer's potential to influence the product bundles offered by these companies. Fourteen qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with senior representatives from the three sectors. Interview respondents were selected in cooperation with their respective companies. Results underwent interpretative analysis, and the findings indicated that business orientation is linked to product bundling techniques and to the type of customer influence on product bundling. Consumers were exposed to mixed and complementary bundling strategies, and customers of companies that apply a market orientation were found to have greater opportunities to influence product bundles directly, whereas companies that apply a production‐oriented approach were less able to respond to their customers' wishes. Consumer influence on the product bundles of production‐oriented companies was found to be of a more indirect nature.

Increased number of dengue cases in Swedish travellers to Thailand

Between 2004 and 2008, around 30-60 cases of dengue fever in travellers were reported annually in Sweden. Over 75% of cases in 2005-2008 were infected when travelling to Southeast Asia, most if them in Thailand, one of the Swedes most popular holiday destinations. Since 2007, we have observed a 55% increase in the number of dengue fever cases reported per month, with 17 cases reported in January 2009 alone.

Swedish traveller with Plasmodium knowlesi malaria after visiting Malaysian Borneo

Plasmodium knowlesi is typically found in nature in macaques and has recently been recognized as the fifth species of Plasmodium causing malaria in human populations in south-east Asia. A case of knowlesi malaria is described in a Swedish man, who became ill after returning from a short visit to Malaysian Borneo in October 2006. His P. knowlesi infection was not detected using a rapid diagnostic test for malaria, but was confirmed by PCR and molecular characterization. He responded rapidly to treatment with mefloquine. Evaluation of rapid diagnostic kits with further samples from knowlesi malaria patients are necessary, since early identification and appropriate anti-malarial treatment of suspected cases are essential due to the rapid growth and potentially life-threatening nature of P. knowlesi. Physicians should be aware that knowlesi infection is an important differential diagnosis in febrile travellers, with a recent travel history to forested areas in south-east Asia, including short-term travellers who tested negative with rapid diagnostic tests.

Swedish air travellers and voluntary carbon offsets: towards the co-creation of environmental value?

There is now a broad consensus that aviation is a significant contributor to global warming. One question that thus arises is whether voluntary carbon-offsetting schemes can make a significant contribution to mitigating the contribution of aviation to climate change. These schemes have seen considerable growth in recent years, even though the overall amount of emissions offset remains negligible: tour operators and airlines offering voluntary carbon offsets report that customers show limited interested in these schemes. In the light of this, the article seeks to discuss the implications of voluntary carbon-offsetting schemes as a means of compensating emissions from aviation, and goes on to assess air travellers' knowledge of and attitudes to these schemes. Structural problems that have to be overcome to create broader interest in voluntary carbon offsetting are discussed in the context of co-creation of environmental value at the level of economic transactions between individual passengers (consumers) and airlines (producers), based on a survey of Swedish air travellers.

The effect of travel cost on frequencies of shopping and recreational trips in Sweden

This article focus on how the cost of travel affects travel behavior. A trip frequency model for recreational and shopping trips is suggested and used to investigate this. The data that is used comes from a Swedish travel habit survey where the respondents’ trip frequencies of both types of trips on a certain day are recorded. This is likely to introduce a correlation structure, which is incorporated in the model. Special attention is paid to the effect of travel cost on trip frequencies for different regions and income groups. As a measure of the sensitivity of cost changes, elasticity of demand is calculated. The precision of the elasticities are evaluated with simulated p-values.

Perspectives for a future high-speed train in the Swedish domestic travel market

Gröna tåget (the Green Train) is a research and development project with the aim to develop a high-speed tilting train concept for the Swedish and Nordic markets. Competition with other modes needs to be evaluated, especially as regards travelling times and fares, with special attention paid to domestic airlines. For new trains, gains in travelling times and lower operational costs can be expected. Model calculations of operational costs for domestic air stages and high-speed trains, respectively, show that high-speed trains have lower costs per available seat kilometer. Train operators can meet competition with fares from coaches and air carriers provided they introduce yield management. The primary competition is about travelling times. Gröna tåget would increase the train’s attractiveness and win over some travel from airlines.

Impact of Nonresponse and Weighting in Swedish Travel Survey

Results from travel surveys, together with traffic monitoring programs, serve as a basis for policy decisions and evaluations. Correct interpretation of the survey results is therefore of vital importance, and the impact of different sources of error needs to be investigated. This paper presents a study of nonresponse errors in a Swedish travel survey. Survey methodologists have addressed the problem of nonresponse for a long time, and several methods have been developed to reduce possible bias. Particularly common are different weighting methods based on auxiliary information. However, the performance of these techniques is based on how well the chosen auxiliary variables can explain the response behavior. The aims of the present study were to (a) investigate whether the mobility of nonrespondents differs from the mobility of respondents and (b) determine whether weighting reduces possible nonresponse bias. A weighting technique called calibration was used. The travel survey was based on a mail questionnaire, and the response rate was about 53%. Nonrespondents were contacted by telephone and asked a selected number of questions from the original questionnaire. Results show that mobility did differ between respondents and nonrespondents for some of the travel modes. The effect of calibration was generally small and inconsistent; the bias was reduced in some cases and increased in others. Nevertheless, calibration is recommended if procedures for calculating the weights are readily available.

The comparative burden of salmonellosis in the European Union member states, associated and candidate countries

BackgroundSalmonella is an infectious agents causing numerous cases of illness each year, and thereby having significant economic impact. Using returning Swedish travellers we estimated the burden of salmonellosis in different European countries.MethodsFrom the Swedish database on notifiable communicable diseases 15,864 cases with travel-associated salmonellosis acquired in Europe from 1997–2003 were retrieved. These cases were compared to a dataset from the same years on 14,171 randomly selected Swedish residents, with a history of recent overnight travel in Europe. Distribution of salmonellosis in returning travellers and the distribution of Salmonella Enteritidis was analysed for different member states in the European Union, associated and candidate countries. The risk of being notified with a salmonella infection after return from each European country/region was calculated, and compared with official reporting data rom these countries. Using Norway as reference country, we could 1) construct comparable incidence estimates and 2) calculate the "under-reporting" in each country compared to Norway.ResultsThe highest burden of salmonellosis was estimated for Bulgaria (2741/100,000), followed by Turkey with 2344/100 000 and Malta with 2141/100 000. S. Enteritidis is the dominating serotype, 66.9 % of all cases and phage type 4 accounts for 37.5 % of the S. Enteritidis casesConclusionUsing returning tourists as a sentinel population can provide a useful base for comparison of disease burdens in different countries/regions. Focusing prevention of salmonellosis to prevention of egg and poultry associated S. Enteritidis infection will have a major impact from a public health perspective and will significantly lower the burden of disease in most European countries.

Schistosomiasis in Swedish travellers to sub-Saharan Africa: can we rely on serology?

In the absence of egg excretion, laboratory diagnosis of recently acquired schistosomiasis is dependent on serology. 42 of 83 Swedish adventure tourists to sub-Saharan Africa had serum anti-schistosome antibodies indicating recent infection. There is little doubt regarding the specificity and sensitivity of serology for the demonstration of infection, but there is a need for alternative serological methods which could be more widely used than the standard immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for antibodies against gut-derived antigens (anti-GAA). We present results suggesting that 40/42 anti-GAA positive cases also react with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH), a readily available commercial antigen. High anti-GAA titres were seen for more than 2 y despite treatment with praziquantel. Thus we are faced with several questions. How likely is it that positive serology means treatment failure? What is the risk involved in chronic infection? What is the prospect for monitoring treatment outcome by serology? We conclude that there is a need for better information on the risk of becoming infected, for improved methods for testing and for monitoring the therapeutic effects in adventure tourists.

Prevention of travel-related infectious diseases: Knowledge, practices and attitudes of Swedish travellers

More Swedish residents travel to countries where they are at risk for contracting malaria, hepatitis, and other serious travel-related diseases. To safeguard the public's health, it is important to determine if travellers accurately perceive health risks and take appropriate preventative measures before and during their trips. This study examined travel health knowledge, attitudes and practices among Swedish residents traveling to destinations with risk of malaria and hepatitis. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed to Swedish residents (n=957) waiting to board intercontinental flights at the Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport. A majority of travellers sought general information (74%) and travel health advice (59%) prior to departure. Most perceived vaccination as safe and effective, but only 40% and 3% of travellers reported adequate vaccine coverage against hepatitis A or hepatitis B, respectively. Although most did not know the actual malaria risk at the destination, 97% of persons flying to high-risk areas were carrying malaria medication. The study results were in line with those found in surveys conducted in other countries, and demonstrate need for further health education among travellers to risk destinations. Efforts should focus on reaching more travellers, providing clear information and improving compliance with recommended travel health advice.

Early Swedish travelers to Persia1

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