Globalization Brings ‘Big Shift’ in Sweden’s Outlook on Vacations
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 08.22.07 | 10:16 AM ET
When it comes to vacation time, nobody in Europe—or anywhere, perhaps—has it better than the Swedes. A recent EU study found that Swedish workers are “entitled to an average of 33 paid vacations days in 2006—close to 7 weeks, not counting public holidays,” according to the International Herald Tribune’s Ivar Ekman. Now, with the rise of a global economy, that may be changing. ““The Swedish vacation is being adapted to the international situation,” said Orvar Lofgren, a professor of anthropology at Lund University and author of the book “On Holiday: A History of Vacationing.” He adds: “The classic five-week vacation is not as holy as it used to be.”
So far, Ekman writes, changes have been subtle. Instead of taking time off in July, as Swedes have traditionally done, they’re now shifting time to August like most of the rest of Europe. Soon, some predict, Swedes will begin working longer weeks and taking shorter vacations.
Related on World Hum:
* Take a Vacation. It’s Presidential.
* Why Don’t Americans Take Vacations? This Land is Already ‘Leisure Land.’
* How Do Americans Struggle With Vacations? Let Us Count the Ways.
Email to friend
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! Buzz
Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
