How Swedes are planning their summer vacation

How Swedes are planning their summer vacation Long summer vacations are most common in Stockholm. In the north of the country, in Norrland, people prefer to take their holiday in July, while Swedes in the southwest, in Skåne, prefer to spread their vacation over different months. And most people are going to telecommute this summer. These are some of the findings in Telia's most recent "Communications Barometer" survey, which polled 3,640 employees of companies located all around Sweden. Telecommuting during the summer is common all over Sweden. On average, two out of three surveyed employees, from north to south, will telecommute this summer. Eleven percent of the Swedes in the survey will telecommute more than in earlier years - in Stockholm, 14 percent, the highest percentage in the country. "This is a clear trend - more and more people want to be able to work remotely, outside their workplace. Many have realized that they can work more efficiently this way, but that telecommuting also gives them more time to spend with their family and friends, since they can work from home or their summer house," says Erik Heilborn, head of the Business Segment at TeliaSonera Sweden. Four weeks in July is the most common vacation period in Sweden, but in Stockholm, 22 percent take five weeks of vacation or more. In Skåne, only 10 percent take a longer vacation than four weeks. In Norrland, 5 percent will not take any summer holiday at all this year. Swedes in the southwest spread their vacation over several months and take it most often in June and August. In Norrland, 29 percent responded that customers have the greatest influence over their choice of vacation time, the highest percentage in the country. The corresponding figure for Skåne was 20 percent. People in Stockholm take the longest continuous holiday, with 12 percent of Stockholmers having five vacation weeks or more together with their families or partners. In Skåne, 5 percent responded that they take five weeks or more. In Stockholm, Västra Götaland (western Sweden) and Skåne, the country's major metroplitan areas, about 30 percent split their vacation into two parts; in Norrland, 21 percent. About the Communications Barometer for Companies The respondents work at companies that are customers of Telia. The survey period was May 12-20, 2004. The report is available (in Swedish only) at www.teliasonera.se. Click on "Press". For further information journalists can contact: Erik Heilborn, TeliaSonera Sweden, Vice President Business Segment, +46 8 713 58 30 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/06/11/20040611BIT00200/wkr0001.pdf