Ylva Gunillasdotter is a Swedish guide who has worked with Rick Steves for many years. For her current perspective on the status of tourism there, why the Stockholm City Hall is a significant cultural symbol, and insights about Rick Steves please read my recent interview with her (07/07/21).

For the latest Sweden travel rules and restrictions please visit the US Embassy Sweden Website.

Q) Can you please briefly tell us about you and what made you want to become a tour guide?

I am 60 years old and have been working as a guide my whole life. My mother had a travel agency and when I was 17 years old (according to her, I think I was 18) she put me on a tour bus in charge of 47 swedes wishing to see tulips blooming in the Netherlands. Since then I have not only lead tours, but also been working as a local guide in Stockholm and Rio de Janeiro. Right now I’m guiding at the Swedish Parliament and in different museums.

Q) Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the tourism industry. Can you please give us the present day, on the ground overview of the situation in Sweden?

Tourism in Sweden has indeed suffered during Covid-19 even though we never had a lock down. Slowly we are seeing more and more foreign visitors on the streets and we hope for a totally normal year when it comes to tourism in 2022. At least that’s what we are planing for. But if there is anything we have learned during these two “lost” seasons, it is that when it comes to viruses plans have to be extremely flexible.

Q) Sweden has such a rich and fascinating culture and history. I know it is extremely difficult to pick a single thing, but can you point to a piece of architecture or art that best tells its story?

The City Hall of Stockholm! If you are only going to see one thing in Sweden it has to be our City Hall. There are plenty of palaces and castles built for kings, emperors and religious leaders around the world but in Stockholm we have the most magnificent palace and it’s built for the people. It also has a built in history lesson and is the bulls eye of Stockholm politics. What more can you ask for?

Q) Rick Steves is a true legend and so genuine and great in all he does. How did your paths cross and how did you end up working with him?

I met Rick Steves when he was in Stockholm updating the Scandinavia guidebook a long time ago. Luckily for me he needed a new tour guide for his Scandinavia tours right then, he asked me if I was interested and the rest is, as they say, history.

Q) Is there anything about Rick Steves that might surprise people?

I would answer no to that question. Rick is totally transparent and open about his opinions about everything. What did surprise me in the beginning, before I got to know him, is his remarkable high energy level and his generosity.

Q) Any future travel trends that you think are coming or any final comments about the state of travel in Sweden?

Personally I believe in smaller groups when it comes to group traveling (just like Rick Steves has always had), more individualized travel and more adventurous. What I hope for is a more environmentally friendly kind of traveling. In Sweden we have a railway network that has a great potential for both that and the flexibility that I think is part of the future of travel.

To see Sweden through a local lens and gain fresh perspectives please contact Ylva on your next Swedish adventure.

Ylva Gunillasdotter

+0046 707218111