Swedes on vacation appear to shed the last remnants of everyday discipline like winter coats in July, rediscovering family, rest and, on occasion, the gentle art of mischief, according to data from Kantar Media (commissioned by TUI), a sample of 1,054 Swedes ages 18 to 79 served as prime subjects in this social safari.
The findings reveal a paradox: at home, schedules prevail, but on holiday, half of Swedes decide that clocks are merely decorative. 49% admit to waking up without an alarm. Imagine: adults, freed from the tyranny of schedules, becoming the very children they once scolded. Why stop there? The urge for connection is also high. Around 51% say they spent more time with family and friends, their eyes untethered from the glow of screens. Perhaps the real getaway is from group chats, not geography.
But forget family films and sunset selfies: 13% confess to sharing drinks with strangers just as easily as they swap stories. The exact number admits airing grievances about fellow tourists. There’s something about poolside anonymity that awakens both Sweden’s hidden extroverts and self-appointed critics.
Lounge Chair Wars and Unwritten Rules
Nowhere are the lines between order and chaos more evident than in the silent struggle over sun loungers. This much-memed battle seems less nuclear than suggested by social media outrage. Only 9% of Swedes on vacation have staked fluffy white claims before breakfast with the infamous beach towel. Still, in family circles, that figure swells to 14%. Richer travellers are equally creative, with 12% refusing to take chances with sunshine. The travel industry, ever practical and slightly weary, steps in: certain hotels now hand out assigned loungers, presumably ending the arms race before sunrise.
Some holiday traditions, meanwhile, reflect a dark comedy of manners. Roughly 10% of participants confessed to urinating in the sea, confirming that personal freedom sometimes smells faintly of brine. This habit, like flared jeans and questionable techno, is more common among the young: 15% of the 18–25 group, while only 5% of older travellers admit this, suggesting experience doesn’t always bring wisdom, just better excuses.
Other habits belong strictly to the “When in Rome” school of travel. About 10% reported having more sex on vacation than usual—a statistic that could either signal relaxation or a desperate bid for novelty in hotel bedsheets. 6% tried to pass as non-Swedish, avoiding their native tongue when other Swedes were nearby. International travel invites a brief, joyful surrender to a sense of national identity. Another 6% posted intentionally envy-inducing photos online, because nothing says ‘holiday spirit’ like passive-aggressive beach shots aimed squarely at those left behind.
The quest for freedom doesn’t end there. 3% plunged abruptly into hotel pools, while a dedicated 2% swam nude. These numbers, though small, suggest that “letting go” is not just a slogan—it’s a mildly awkward reality.
The Oddities, the Outliers, and the Unimpressed
Not everyone chooses chaos. A sensible 23% opted out of anything remotely scandalous, proving some Swedes bring rules and routines along for the ride, like sunscreen or existential dread. The data, pulled between May 7 and 10, 2025, on an online panel, claims to reflect the real habits of Sweden’s travelling public. Whether it does is a question for another survey—and maybe a stiffer drink.
Dian Martinez Valencia, TUI’s communications lead, offers the official line: age, money, and kids shape these escapades, but a single thread remains—vacation means better time, deeper rest, and spontaneity. In Sweden, some routines die hard. Others are strangled gleefully with a pool towel.
There you have it: Swedes on vacation. A little lazier, a bit more defiant, marginally scandalous. The evidence is in. Just remember, the sunburn fades, but the stories linger—often longer than the last traces of self-control.
