Sweden Becomes the First Country to Allow Doctors to Prescribe Travel
If your doctor handed you a note that said “Prescribed: Travel,” you’d probably walk out smiling. In Sweden, that’s almost reality. A creative new initiative by Visit Sweden is trading medicine for movement, encouraging people to see travel as therapy. Rather than being told to rest or meditate, you might soon hear, “Take a few days in Lapland.” It sounds playful, but there’s real science — and a hint of Sweden’s signature humor — behind the idea.
What the Prescription Really Means
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The campaign, called “The Swedish Prescription,” promotes Sweden as the first country where travel can be “prescribed” by doctors. It’s built around the idea that certain activities, such as forest walks, saunas, cold-water plunges, and Sweden’s beloved fika breaks, can measurably improve health.
Visit Sweden says the campaign’s website features a downloadable “prescription form” that visitors can print and take to their doctor. The idea transforms a fun marketing concept into an engaging, hands-on experience. However, it’s not an official medical program. It’s a creative communications effort supported by research rather than a formal health directive.
Sweden Looks Like a Wellness Resort
If any place could pull off this idea, it’s Sweden. Nearly 70 percent of its land is covered in forest, there are more than 265 islands, and the country’s “right to roam” law guarantees open access to nature. That natural abundance shapes the Swedish lifestyle, where balance and simplicity are built into daily life.
Sauna sessions followed by icy dips, long walks through untouched forests, and fika, a slow coffee break shared with friends, are not passing fads. They are part of everyday life. These customs reflect what health experts describe as “nature prescriptions,” the idea that spending time outdoors and connecting with others in calm settings can strengthen both physical and mental health.
The Benefits For Doctors and Patients
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For doctors, this initiative offers a new conversation starter. Instead of defaulting to medication, they can point patients toward activities that combine relaxation, movement, and connection. Some clinicians already use nature-based prescriptions for stress and depression, and Sweden’s campaign formalizes that idea with a real destination attached. For patients, booking a sauna session in Lapland or hiking through the Swedish archipelago can now be viewed as part of a personal health plan, backed by research and culture, rather than as an indulgence.
Of course, this isn’t covered by insurance. The downloadable “prescription” doesn’t come with a flight voucher or hotel discount; it’s symbolic, not subsidized. Visit Sweden makes it clear that the concept is meant to inspire discussion between patients and clinicians, not replace professional medical care. The health benefits it highlights, like better sleep, improved circulation, and stress relief, are based on scientific studies, but experiences will naturally vary. What’s consistent is Sweden’s ability to provide environments that calm the body and refresh the mind.