GÖTEBORG & CO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

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GOTHENBURG, 27 FEBRUARY 2012

Anneli Hulthén (Chairman) Jonas Ransgård Patrik AnderssonAndreas Andersen Thomas Torkelsson Björn SandmarkNils-Gunnar Ernstsson Carin Kindbom Joacim CarlsonClaes Berglund Lennart Bliman Dag AgårdStefan Johansson Bengt Linde

Carin Bouvin (employee representative)

Sabine SöndergaardCEO

Our audit report was submitted on 27 February 2012.Deloitte AB

Gunnar Andersson, Authorised Public Accountant

FIRST STEPS TOWARDS BEST CITY IN THE WORLD ...........4INTERNATIONAL SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE ..........6THE CITY AS ONE BIG ARENA .....................................................8POPULAR AND PROFITABLE FESTIVAL .................................10CELEBRATING KNOWLEDGE FOR FIFTEENTH YEAR ........11EVENTS CALENDAR ......................................................................12MEETINGS PUT THE CITY ON THE MAP ...............................1420 YEARS OF UNBROKEN GROWTH ........................................18CRUISE VISITS SET NEW RECORD ..........................................21ATTRACTIVE SHOPPING DESTINATION ....................................22NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BRING MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS ....23CAPITAL OF A NEW CULINARY NATION ...................................24NETWORKS MAKE US STRONGER .............................................26SUSTAINABILITY THAT PAYS........................................................28AND THE WINNER IS… .................................................................30DIGITAL ADVANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES ...........................32FOOD, MUSIC AND MYSTERIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT ............34GETTING PRIORITIES AND FOCUS RIGHT ...............................36THE BOARD .....................................................................................38COMMITTEES ...................................................................................39ANNUAL REPORT ...........................................................................42

CONTENTS

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Gothenburg’s visitor industry continued to grow for the twentieth year in succession. Guest nights at hotels and youth hostels in Greater Gothenburg rose by 3.8 per cent in 2011. This boosts confidence and gives us hope for the future at a time when we are in­creasing hotel capacity and opportunities for further growth.

Most of the increase was seen in the number of Swedish hotel guests, while there was a fall in num­bers from the Nordic region and rest of Europe. One reason is that there were several international con­gresses in the previous year, 2010, which skewed the comparison. But we still have every reason to feed this trend and invest more in marketing Gothenburg in

our key foreign markets: Norway, Denmark, Germany and the UK.

Initiatives in these markets are part of the business plan for 2012–2014 that the board agreed in Decem­ber. It identifies strategic success factors for conti­nued growth in meetings, events and public tourism. The top priority is to develop our destination in all the areas that make up Göteborg & Co’s core business. Regardless of the new business plan we need to ack­nowledge that the world is changing rapidly. There is stiff competition for big conferences and events. Many cities today can offer modern facilities, strong public support and financial resources that we may find difficult to match. Gothenburg must therefore

FIRST STEPS TOWARDS BEST CITY IN THE WORLDA newly formulated business plan for the next few years. A new organisation de­signed to meet tomorrow’s needs. Big plans for celebrating the city’s centenary in 2021. A new record for the number of overnight stays in hotels and youth hostels in the Gothenburg region. These are a few of the important milestones reached by the company and the destination in the past year.

focus on what we do best: working together to identify the most effective offerings for customers, developing synergies and highlighting what makes us unique.

Environmental and social responsibility are increasingly important for organisers of big events and gatherings. This underlines the importance of the Sustainable Gothenburg project for the competitive strength of the destination.

We have set our sights high: to become the world’s most sustainable destination for meetings and events. The city has already made good progress on this path, with hotels, taxi services and the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre all leading the way in environ­mental initiatives. One of the big drivers of this pro­cess has been Gothenburg Landvetter Airport, which has become one of the most environmentally friendly airports in Europe.

In May, the Centenary Plan will be submitted to the city executive board. In 2011, around 150 people contributed to the various perspective groups: Green City, City of Growth, City of Youth, City of Culture, City of Learning, City of Experiences and The Open City. A further 1,680 suggestions have been made through the 2021 web portal. This has been a truly collaborative project. We now have a wealth of sug­gestions for ways in which Gothenburg can stake its position in the future.

Sabine Söndergaard, CEO, Göteborg & Co

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Today we are still enjoying and reaping the benefits of the investments that were made for Gothenburg’s third centenary. Liseberg amusement park, Gothenburg Museum of Art and Götaplatsen are all evidence of the future vision of the city leaders a century ago.

We barely have ten years until the next centenary celebrations. We want this centenary to be seen and marked throughout Sweden and abroad. We therefore need to start preparing now to make Gothenburg the city that residents want.

The centenary preparations began in 2010/2011. This is an open process that everyone has had a chance to take part in, and there has been a tremendous response. Almost 2,000 ideas were submitted. They covered areas such as building on the city’s waterside location, new landmark buildings, traffic and public transport, as well as how to create a sustainable environ­ment and how to improve our sense of community and overcome obstacles.• Green City• City of Culture• City of Learning• City of Youth• City of Experiences• City of Growth• The Open City

Each of the groups had to answer a central question: How can Gothenburg’s fourth centenary make an international impression that serves as a springboard for the future?

The working groups were made up of around a hundred people from industry, the city and the region, from academia, companies and associations. Their members met six times, and on 26 January they pre­sented the results of their work.

In addition to the seven working groups, the public were asked to suggest their own ideas for the city’s future development. The city’s committees and companies also submitted suggestions, which will be summarised to give an overall picture.

In March 2011 a web portal or forum was set up at goteborg2021.com to gather the opinions and ideas of residents. The GT newspaper and TV4 also ran a high-profile campaign early in 2011 to encourage read­ers to make suggestions for the centenary. Almost a

hundred readers’ suggestions were passed on through the forum.

The web portal drew in 1,680 suggestions for ev­erything from jungle play parks for kids to free public transport and how to bring Gothenburg closer to the water.

These ideas will be considered over spring and will culminate in a special Centenary Plan. The plan will be presented by Göteborg & Co to the city executive board on 30 May. A book containing the many ideas suggest­ed by the public will also be produced by then.

This is clearly a long­term process that will really begin with the city executive board’s decision on the future.

Gothenburg celebrates its fourth centenary in 2021. Many people have helped to plan for this event over the past year. Seven working groups have considered hundreds of ideas, which have led to suggestions for making Gothenburg an even better place to live and work, and creating an international springboard for the future. In May, the Centenary Plan will be presented to the politicians on Gothenburg’s city executive board.

INTERNATIONAL SPRING-BOARD FOR THE FUTURE

HISTORY OF GOTHENBURG1621: The city was founded by Gustav II Adolf as a

strategic port on the west coast. But whether the king actually pointed and uttered the famous words “The city will stand here,” is unclear. Marshes were drained and canals were cut by immigrant Dutchmen. Scots and Germans contributed to the city’s growth.

1721: The city has just survived three attacks from Denmark during the Great Northern War. The hundred­year­old city is ravaged instead by a devastating fire. Over 200 houses are destroyed. During the eighteenth century Gothenburg develops into a thriving mari­time city and centre for trade, with a popula­tion of around 10,000.

1821: The boom period is over. Gothenburg is hit by a depression following the Napoleonic Wars. Many companies are forced into bankruptcy and trade with the East Indies has come to an end.

1921: The centenary is not celebrated until 1923, but then there is a splendid centenary exhibi­tion and major new landmarks are built. Gothenburg Museum of Art, Götaplatsen, Liseberg amusement park, the Swedish Ex­hibition & Congress Centre and Gothenburg Botanical Garden have all made their mark on history.

Gothenburg

400 years

2021

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Gothenburg offers everything that other big cities can offer event visitors – with one important difference: almost everything is within easy walking distance here. Gothenburg nevertheless has a need to improve its range of venues for events.

A feasibility study for a new arena has been comple­ted and an investigation has begun. The investment must be seen in the wider context and the effects must be examined carefully from all three sustainability angles: social, economic and ecological.

Initiatives to build on the success of the city in hos­ting events also include attracting a wide range of small and medium­sized events. These are not so dependent on large venues, but rather mean viewing the city as one big arena, and continuing to develop the valuable platform for collaboration that has been created in Gothenburg.

HANDBALL DRAWS MASSIVE CROWDSA number of public festivals were held in Gothenburg last year. The year began with the Men’s World Hand­ball Championship, with Sweden’s group matches be­ing played at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg.

Over 51,000 people watched the matches live, a figure well above the forecast of 38,000. This confirms Gothenburg’s position as the handball capital of Sweden.

THE CITY AS ONE BIG ARENAGothenburg is one of the top cities in Europe for events. Competition is intense, however. Growing demands are placed on organisers and venues. Large finan­cial commitments require careful analysis before a city can take on a big event.

GREAT CHOICE OF FESTIVALS AND CONCERTSThe summer months were largely devoted to music.Way Out West in Slottsskogen city park repeated the successes of previous years. Fifty thousand visitors fil­led the park for two days to see and hear performances by Kanye West and Robyn, but most of all to see the main attraction on stage – Prince. This summer the event will be extended to three days.

Azaleadalen in Slottskogen city park was used for the first time for the one-day festival Where the action is, when British rock band Coldplay took centre stage. There were also appearances by Glasvegas, Sahara Hotnights, The Ark and others.

Heavy metal fans were able to satisfy their passion in Gothenburg when the Metaltown festival moved from Frihamnen to the Göteborg Galopp area on Hisingen, beating previous attendance records and selling over 25,000 tickets.

Ullevi Stadium was filled to capacity when The Big Four (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) proved their popularity too. The mega concert was broadcast live on SVT for six hours. Just two days previously Iron Maiden played to a sell­out audience in the same stadium.

The big Musikhjälpen (Music Aid) event arranged by Sveriges Radio and SVT broke multiple records for revenue, number of performers, website hits and audience attendance.

EVENTS CONFIRMED IN 2011 – A SELECTION

Musikhjälpen (Music Aid) 2011P3 Guld music awards 2012Women’s Match Racing World Championship 2012Olympic handball qualifiers 2012Flag Football World Championships 2012Summerburst Festival 2012Orienteering World Cup 2012Swedish Mountain Bike Championship 2012Downhill 2012Göteborgsklassikern triathlon 2012Swedish Orienteering Championship 201310MILA orienteering relay 2016

UNDER CONSIDERATION – A SELECTION

Swedish Championships Week 2014–2015Orienteering World Championship 2015European Women’s Handball Championship 2016EuroSkills 2016European Men’s Handball Championship 2018Volvo Ocean Race 2018

RAINBOW PARADEThe HBTQ festival is a unique celebration of art and culture that turns the spotlight on perceptions of nor­mality and the lifestyles of those who are homosexual, bisexual or transgender. The festival is aimed specifi­cally at all individuals, organisations, institutions and companies who respect and feel involved in the culture that has its roots in the lives of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people.

The event drew 127,000 people, lasted for five days in June and closed with a rainbow parade from Kanal­torget along the main boulevard, Avenyn, to Götaplat­sen. Eight thousand people took part in the colourful parade and its route was lined by 25,000 spectators.

INVESTING IN YOUNG TALENTStudent Göteborg is jointly organised by Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group, the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and the Association of Student Unions in Gothenburg. The aim is to make the city’s 60,000 students feel welcome in Gothenburg. A long list of gatherings, activities and discount offers are arranged. In September an annual welcome event is held at the Trädgårn restaurant.

The students are valuable ambassadors for Goth­enburg and the goal is to encourage them to stay in the city. In recent years a growing number of national students have taken part in these activities.

Another initiative is Fresh Fish. This is a fashion ex­hibition and design competition that is aimed at young and as yet unestablished designers and artists.

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The vision for the International Science Festival is to make it the best and most enjoyable gathering for scientists and society, schools and the public. It is divided into three programmes spread over two weeks in spring: an open programme for the general public, a schools programme that caters to over 30,000 pupils in pre­school and compulsory schooling, and a profes­sional programme for the scientific community.

The festival is sponsored by Business Region Göte­borg, Chalmers University of Technology, the Univer­sity of Gothenburg, Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group, the Knowledge Foundation and the Swedish Research Council.

In 2011 the International Science Festival offered well over 1,000 hours of science. Programme activities ranged from 15 minutes to a couple of hours in dura­

In 2011 there were over 1,000 programme events along the three­kilometre­long festival route that runs from Liseberg to the harbour.

In August the city bursts into life with an almost frenzied mix of cultural offerings for everyone. There is food from all over the world. There is theatre, ballet, circus, stand­up and performances at every level from local talent to global celebrities. There is jazz, dance music, hip­hop and classical performances.

The goal is simply to make life in the city more co­lourful, more human and more fun.

The Culture Festival has been given an environ­mental diploma by City of Gothenburg and this year also received a Green’n’Clean Award from Yourope, The European Festival Association. Food outlets offered a wider choice of organic products and veget­arian dishes, and all the coffee on sale was organic and ethically labelled. The Culture Festival in 2011 was powered by green, locally generated wind power, and carbon credits were purchased to offset unavoidable emissions.

Gothenburg Culture Festival is much more than just a celebration for city residents. Thirty­seven per cent of visitors came from locations outside Gothenburg. Of these, more than half said the Culture Festival was the main reason for their visit. Together they generated SEK 94 million in revenue, mostly spent at restaurants

tion and the feature that visitors appreciate most is the great variety of events.

Three hundred scientists from ten countries contri buted to the 15th festival. The open programme offered 318 programme items on almost every subject, from how our brains learn, to comfort zones, creative climate solutions, keeping blood vessels happy and whole­body maths.

One especially popular item was Science Roulette, in which 42 scientists representing 42 subjects each entered a gondola on the Wheel of Gothenburg. Inqui­sitive visitors then climbed aboard and were treated to 15 minutes of fascinating conversation in the sky. They went in with questioning looks and came out with a look of amazement!

and cafés, and on shopping, outdoor activities and accommodation, according to a survey by HUI Research.

Visitors particularly liked the positive atmosphere and wide range of events, as well as the standard of performers and the fact that the festival is free. Eighty­nine per cent were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall impression of the Culture Festival.

New additions in 2011 included the opening of Stora Teatern for performances and conversations with authors, and the transformation of Incontro’s piazza near Korsvägen into a piano bar. Kungstorget was once again one of the central festival venues after a year’s absence.

POPULAR AND PROFITABLE FESTIVAL

CELEBRATING KNOWLEDGE FOR FIFTEENTH YEAR

Gothenburg Culture Festival is one of the biggest city festivals in Sweden and an event to be proud of.

GOTHENBURG CULTURE FESTIVAL 2011

Number of visitors: 790,000Visitors: All ages, largest single age group: 15–21 (16%)Percentage female/male: 55/45%Residents of Gothenburg: 63%From Västra Götaland: 22%From elsewhere in Sweden: 7.5%From abroad: 7.5%Source: HUI Research

CREATIVITY was the theme of Sweden’s biggest festival of knowledge. Gothenburg’s International Science Festival is one of the leading popular science events in Europe and was held for the fifteenth time in the city.

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This is a selection of everything that happened during the year.

JANUARY

Gothenburg Ice Hockey Cup 1-5/1Gothia Floorball Cup 6-9/1World Handball Championship Scandinavium arena 13-30/1P3 Guld music awards Lisebergshallen 22/1Göteborg International Film Festival Draken 28/1-7/2

FEBRUARY

Song Festival Scandinavium arena 12/2Eurohorse Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre 24-27/2Göteborg Horse Show Scandinavium arena 24-27/2Passion for food Quality Hotel 11 25-27/2Swedish Indoor Athletics Championship Friidrottens Hus 26-27/2

MARCH

World Challenge Arm WrestlingMuseum of World Culture 8/3Eldfesten metal festival Heden 15/3TUR travel & tourism fair Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre 24-27/3

APRIL

Opening of Liseberg amusement park 23/4Iranian Culture Festival Göteborg City Museum 29/4

MAY

International Science FestivalSchools programme 3-10/5Finals of Swedish Handball Championship Scandinavium arena 7/5International Science Festival Gothenburg 10-15/5International Authors Stage 13/5FIM Swedish Speedway Grand Prix Ullevi Stadium 14/5Göteborgsvarvet half marathon 21/5Fresh Fish Quality Hotel 11 27-29/5Hammarkullen Carnival 27-29/5

JUNE

HBTQ Festival Avenyn 1-5/6Håkan Hellström Slottsskogsvallen 4/6Citizenship ceremony 6/6Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Slottsskogen city park 6/6Picnickfestivalen 6/6Metaltown/West Coast Riot Göteborg Galopp 16-18/6Sweden vs. Mexico Gamla Ullevi Arena 16/6

World Transplant Games Heden 18-24/6Orienteering World Cup Götaplatsen 21/6Midsummer in Slottsskogen city park 24/6East Indiaman Götheborg at Stenpiren 27/6-21/8Where The Action Is Azaleadalen 28/6West Coast Maritime Week 29/6-10/7

JULY

Iron Maiden Ullevi Stadium 1/7Metallica, Slayer and more Ullevi Stadium 3/7Partille Cup, handball Heden 4-10/7Swedish Pistol Championship 7-10/7World Youth Games, athletics Ullevi Stadium 8-10/7Mountain Bike Festival Slottsskogsvallen 10-11/7Swedish Beach Tour Kanaltorget 15-17/7Gothia Cup Heden 17-23/7Roxette Slottsskogsvallen 24/7

AUGUST

Way Out West Slottsskogen city park 11-13/8Gothenburg Culture Festival 16-21/8European Petanque Championship Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre 19-21/8Dolly Parton Scandinavium arena 28/8

SEPTEMBER

Book & Library 2011 Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre 22-25/9Iranian Culture Festival Gothenburg City Library 23-24/9Science Friday 23/9Frölunda vs. NY Rangers 30/9

OCTOBER

Champions League Göteborg FC Valhalla IP 6/10West Sweden Chamber of Commerce 350th anniversary Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre 13-14/10Night of Culture 14/10Derby GAIS vs. IFK Gamla Ullevi Arena 17/10Nordstan Beach Event 31/10-6/11

NOVEMBER

Gothenburg Rail Battle Kanaltorget 5/11Champions League Göteborg FC Valhalla IP 10/11Gothenburg Christmas City 18/11-31/12

DECEMBER

Music Aid 12-18/12Gothenburg Christmas City 18/11-31/12New Year celebrations at Götaplatsen 31/12

EVENTS CALENDAR 2011

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MöTEN 16-19

Gothenburg holds its own against the international competition as a city for meetings and events. Accor­ding to the latest survey by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Gothenburg is in 54th place out of all the world’s cities. In Europe, we are ranked in ninth place when capital cities are exclu­ded and in 27th place overall.

Conference delegates are also very pleased with what they find here. In the latest survey the overall score for hotels was 6.1 on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being world­class.

GREAT FOR BUSINESS2010 was a record year for congresses and meetings in Gothenburg, so 2011 should be seen as an interim year.

Göteborg & Co played a part in arranging around one hundred meetings. One of the biggest was the cardio­logy congress, Heart Failure, which was held over five days in May. Another was Nordic Energy Outlook 2011.

32,000 delegates attended conferences during the year, generating 71,000 delegate days, i.e. the number of nights that delegates spent at hotels in Gothenburg.

Each delegate spends on average SEK 3,600 per day during his or her stay. Accommodation, food, shopping and entertainment gave a financial influx of SEK 265 million. The meetings industry therefore represents very good business for Gothenburg. It creates demand and job opportunities for aviation, restaurants, shops, hotels, conference facilities and the taxi business. It also puts Gothenburg on the map for people from all over the world.

MEETINGS PUT THE CITY ON THE MAPFirst­rate research, plenty of conveniently located hotels and world­class facilities within walking distance are a few of the factors that have made Gothenburg one of the top conference cities in Europe. The sense of security that Sweden offers and the city’s commitment to sustainability are further arguments that attract organisers of major gatherings to Gothenburg.

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A SUSTAINABLE CITY FOR MEETINGSGöteborg & Co is driven by a vision of becoming the leading destination for sustainability – social, econo­mic and ecological. This is a long­term process that is steadily becoming a reality thanks to the Sustainable Gothenburg project, and offers yet another weighty argument in the competition for visitors.

RESEARCH IS THE KEYSince the majority of congresses centre on medi­cine, research is the key to our future success. The city relies on having prominent figures in the regi­on who have influential contacts around the world. These researchers in turn need arenas where they can pass on their latest findings.

It is important for Göteborg & Co to identify these “meeting ambassadors” and involve them in the highly competitive process of attracting confer­ences to the city.

Sahlgrenska Academy plays a central role in bringing medical congresses to Gothenburg.

BIG CONFERENCES ON THE HORIZONImportant gatherings in 2012 include the Astra Tech World Congress, which will attract almost 4,000 delegates in May. The Swedental exhibition and dental congress is another, bringing 9,000 delegates to Gothenburg in November.

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Nordic Energy Outlook 2011 1,700

Swedish Psychiatric Congress 500

Swedish People’s Party National Conference 2011

800

Occupational Therapy Forum 1,200

Special Schools’ National Conference 1,050

Swedish Historical Society Conference 500

Heart Failure – HFA 2,200

IATA – Schedules Conference 1,000

Eur Atherosclerosis Soc EAS 2,500

EGOS Colloquium 2011 1,600

INPP 2011 300

ESPEN 2011 2,800

ISABE Air-breathing Engines 500

ITNS Transplant Nurses 300

MEETINGS IN 2011 Number of delegates

HELLO: Karl Swedberg, senior professor at Sahlgrenska Academy. You helped ensure that the Heart Failure cardiology conference was held in Gothenburg on 21–25 May. The gathering brought together 2,188 delegates from 26 countries.

Did they enjoy it?“Yes, on the whole the delegates and sponsors were very satisfied, according to the report that was presented afterwards. They especially liked the premises at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, and the closeness to hotels.” “The co­ordination and support provided by Göte­borg & Co was exemplary. The European Society of Cardiology felt so too.”

Did the delegates do anything else apart from eat, sleep and discuss cardiology?“Yes, at least I know that they visited museums and went to concerts and the opera. We didn’t organise this ourselves as part of the programme. Some people took part in the Göteborgsvarvet half mara­thon, which Göteborg & Co helped to arrange.”

How long did it take to get the congress here?“The process began in 2006. We met some resis­tance initially. The location in northern Europe, with limited direct flights from southern Europe was a factor. Some people favoured a venue in central Europe.”

What made them change their minds?“I pointed out the favourable local geography of the city, the closeness between hotels and conference facilities.”

How did the congress affect cardiology research in Gothenburg?“It had an indirect influence in establishing inter­national contacts between researchers. But it also generated interest in our theme of heart failure, an area in which Gothenburg has a long history of obtaining new results.”

When will you come back?“Hopefully within ten years. But congresses of this type are in a process of change and it’s not clear where this will lead. There is interest in a wider Internet­based participation. But researchers also need to meet in real life.”

Nordic Energy Outlook 2012

IFHP, International Federation for House and Planning 2012

Human Rights Days 2012

EuCAP, antenna technology and wave propagation 2013

SnackEx Europe, snacks manufacturing 2013

Physiotherapy Days 2013

WCET, congress for enterostomal therapists 2014

ECC, craniofacial surgery 2015

MEETINGS CONFIRMED IN 2011

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The number of guest nights rose by 3.8 per cent in 2011. In plain numbers this means there were around 3.5 million overnight stays in hotels and youth hostels in the Gothenburg region.

This is due to a successful combination of diverse initiatives to encourage public tourism, events and business­related visits in the form of exhibitions and congresses.

Several marketing campaigns have been conducted in our key markets in Europe, often in collaboration with Visit Sweden and the West Sweden Tourist Board.

Two large marketing campaigns were run in Sweden and Norway, in partnership with Liseberg amusement park, and in Denmark in partnership with Stena Line. The campaigns ran in spring and autumn to attract travellers in summer and in the run­up to Christmas.

The growth continues unabated – for the 20th year in succession. This is a trend that is probably unique in Europe. More guests than ever stayed overnight in Greater Gothenburg, proving that the visitor industry remains stable even when the economy falters.

20 YEARS OF UNBROKEN GROWTH

TREND IN GUEST NIGHTS

LARGE GROUPS FROM GERMANYOn two occasions in November the city was visited by 600 travel agents from Dertour, the second largest travel agency in Germany. For the first time ever they held their annual Dertour Academy event in Gothen­burg. To give this influential group a more personal experience during their 24­hour stay in the city they were divided into groups of twelve and each group was guided by a representative from Göteborg & Co and a German­speaking resident. The visitors then went on a lightning tour of the city, taking in everything from the Stock Exchange and Universeum Science Discovery Centre to Gunnebo House & Gardens and the coast and islands. It was a massive undertaking and concluded on both occasions with a visit to Liseberg amusement park and dinner in the evening.

This is the largest single activity that we have ever organised for a foreign market and will be followed up with further campaigns and activities in 2012.

NORWEGIANS ON IMPROMPTU VISITSNorwegian tourists are also very important to Gothenburg’s visitor industry. In April a group of tourists was treated to an impromptu visit. A coach was laid on at Oslo Central Station and anyone who wanted was able to sign up for a free weekend tour to Gothen­burg the same day. The trip included two nights at a

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Cruise holidays as a whole have grown in popularity in recent years and offer exceptional potential for attracting European travellers. As cruise ships grow in size, shipping lines are able to offer customers more af­fordable prices, which in turn means that more people have the opportunity to go on cruises.

Survey results show that 77 per cent of those who came to Gothenburg on a cruise were first-time visi­tors. Germans made up the largest group of visitors, at 42 per cent. They were followed by Brits (22%), Americans (10%), Spanish (8%) and Canadians (2%). The average age was 51 and most people travelled as couples. When asked about their impressions of the city, the highest scores were given for its green spaces, friendliness of local people, language skills and the standard of taxi services. Travellers also appreciated the city’s numerous cafés and restaurants, its cleanli­ness and the variety of shops. They were not quite as satisfied with the transport to and from the city centre, however. Quayside information on local attractions can also be improved. In the six to eight hours that pas­sengers had to explore Gothenburg they mainly chose to stroll, shop, have coffee, visit parks and museums or take a sightseeing tour. Altogether, passengers spent almost SEK 40 million in the city, 60 per cent of which went on shopping.

COLLABORATION THE KEY TO SUCCESSMore cruise lines are choosing to stop over in Gothen­burg. This is the result of a special partnership between the Port of Gothenburg and Göteborg & Co. Joint marketing of Gothenburg by the port and the city itself creates a sense of confidence. Marketing efforts were also targeted at the relevant shipping lines during the year, through personal visits, trade fair appearances and the like.

The Gothenburg Cruise Network was set up in 2011 as a platform for collaboration between local stake­holders who are contributing in various ways to the continuing development of cruise visits. The network of members includes port agents, tour operators, transport companies, shops and attractions.

Gothenburg is now the third largest cruise destina­tion in Sweden. Stockholm comes first, with around 280 stopovers each year, and Visby is second with around 70 visits. If the current trend continues there is good potential for Gothenburg to overtake Visby and secure its position as Sweden’s second cruise destina­tion.

hotel, a Gothenburg City Card and a VIP ride pass to Liseberg amusement park.

This is a long­term initiative that also includes a campaign website, activities on social media sites and advertisements in the Norwegian media.

ONLINE SALES SUCCESSThe Gothenburg City Card is very popular. Customers give it a score of six on a scale of one to seven, ac­cording to a survey by Handelns Utredningsinstitut (HUI) in summer. The card provides free admission or generous discounts on entertainment, sightseeing, excursions, museums, car parking and public transport for one or more full days. The tourism group recently set up a successful Jet Shop project on the Internet. Online sales rose by more than 20,000 visitor days in the first eight months.

Development efforts in marketing, product strat­egies and sales strategies are continuing.

CRUISE VISITS SET NEW RECORD

NEW SITE FOR WHEEL OF GOTHENBURGAt the end of the year the Wheel of Gothenburg turned for the last time, at least in its original location on Kanaltorget. A total of 340,000 people had taken the opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the city.

On 28 April the wheel will turn once again, with the start of the summer season at Liseberg amusement park. By then the attraction will be installed on its permanent site in the amusement park and will be rechristened the Liseberg Wheel.

TOURIST CENTRE NOW ON FACEBOOKGothenburg Tourist Centre, which has offices at Kungsportsplatsen and in Nordstan, was visited 550,000 times last year. A total of 21,000 enquiries were made by telephone, email and online chat. Some two million brochures were distributed.

In spring 2011 Gothenburg Tourist Centre set up a presence on Facebook. It provides answers to a range of questions in several languages. Guides from the tourist centre are also on hand whenever cruise ships arrive and at large congresses and 2021 events.

Fifty­two cruise ships carrying 64,000 passengers visited Gothenburg in 2011 – six times as many as in the year 2000. The season began in April and ran until September. Three ships also arrived in December just in time for the Gothenburg Christmas City festivities.

PREVIOUS YEARS’ STOP-OVERS AND PASSENGER NUMBERS

Year Arrivals Passengers

2000 9 3,4002001 13 3,6002002 5 2,4002003 13 5,5002004 18 14,2002005 20 12,7002006 18 12,0002007 23 13,0002008 19 13,3002009 33 23,0002010 41 52,0002011 52 64,000

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A new initiative aims to raise Gothenburg’s profile as a shopping destination.The goal is to make Gothenburg the future city of choice for shopping.

It is a known fact that tourists do not just spend their time sightseeing and visiting museums. In 2010 the visitor industry in Sweden accounted for a larger share of exports than the iron & steel industry, according to a report from the Swedish Trade Federation. In the Gothenburg region alone, turnover from tourism amounts to over SEK 23 billion. One­third of this is spent on shopping!

Three factors that act as driving influences on shop­ping are the range of products, prices and the destina­tion.

WALKING DISTANCEGothenburg is known for its lively shopping. Shoppers only have a short stroll between the small shops in the charming quarters within the Moat (Vallgraven), which are home to many designers and specialist bou­tiques. This, combined with the larger chain stores in Nordstan shopping centre, makes shopping in central Gothenburg convenient and enjoyable.

The aim is to encourage visitors to come to Goth­enburg specifically to shop, rather than just shopping while they are here.

NEW PROJECTIn 2011, the Swedish Property Federation in Goth­enburg, the Gothenburg Trade Association and the Trade & Industry Group at Göteborg & Co set up a joint project called Gothenburg City Shopping that aims to develop and improve Gothenburg’s appeal as a shop­ping destination.

One important task initially is to build good relation­ships and establish networks for co­operation between business quarters, retailers, the university, property owners and the city.

The work began back in 2009 on the initiative of the Swedish Property Federation and Gothenburg Trade Association. A feasibility study was carried out, with input from the university, the city, the Swedish Trade Federation and tourism companies.

The study culminated in a vision covering everything from infrastructure to trends, companies and shop­ping flows. Gothenburg aims to be the future city of choice for shopping. When the city celebrates its fourth centen ary, shopping will be one of its main attractions.

A marketing plan was drawn up in 2011 that will result in a string of activities in 2012.

ATTRACTIVE SHOPPING DESTINATION

Good travel routes are vital. Effective air links make Gothenburg an attractive and promising destination for large events and international congresses, as well as for private travellers.

To bring more direct flights to Gothenburg a part­nership known as Göteborg Access has been formed between Göteborg & Co, Swedavia, Visit Sweden, the West Sweden Tourist Board, Business Region Göte­borg and the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre.The initiative was launched in 2006, but has now chan­ged name and recruited additional partners.

MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS AND MORE PASSENGERSGothenburg has two international airports within easy reach of the city centre. This is a unique advantage for a city the size of Gothenburg.

Flights to and from both Gothenburg airports clim­bed sharply last year. The total number of travellers to and from the airports rose to 4,906,302. This is an in­crease of 775,000 since 2010, and the largest rise ever.

Over the year the airports have also invested large sums in reorganising and improving security checks.A total of 770,108 travellers flew via Göteborg City Airport on Hisingen, an increase of 9.17 per cent over 2010.

NORWEGIAN AIR LEADS THE WAYBy the end of the year Gothenburg’s two airports had 80 direct routes to 59 destinations. Norwegian Air saw the largest increase, with nine new destinations, including Malaga, Nice, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Salzburg. Since last summer, Iceland Air has also had a direct route between Gothenburg and Reykjavik.

Efforts are being made to attract even more direct flights through Göteborg Access. Destinations on the wish list include New York, Beijing/Shanghai, Bang­kok, Milan, Stuttgart, Geneva, Moscow, St Petersburg, Dublin and Madrid.

NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BRING MORE DIRECT FLIGHTSAviation set a new record of 5.7 million passengers through Gothenburg’s two international airports. Direct flights to the US, Russia and China are now high on the list of priorities.

FACTS/AIRPORT STATISTICS 2011 Total number of passengers +/- %Stockholm Arlanda 19,072,719 12 Gothenburg Landvetter 4,906,302 19Stockholm Bromma 2,184,216 7Malmö 1,945,910 22Luleå 1,066,839 9Umeå City Airport 955,132 13Gothenburg City Airport 770,108 9Åre Östersund 377,868 6Visby 340,393 10Sundsvall Härnösand 282,047 10Ronneby 226,995 9Kiruna 164,103 -18Ängelholm Helsingborg 91,360 -76

Source: Swedavia and Gothenburg City Airport

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CAPITAL OF A NEW CULINARY NATIONGothenburg has a long-standing reputation for its fine cuisine. Fish and shellfish taste better here than anywhere else. Our closeness to the sea and the forests gives us access to the finest ingredients.

Countless awards have been given to restaurants and chefs in the region. As recently as October, Håkan Thörnström was voted Restaurateur of the Year at the Restaurant Gala in Stockholm.

Thörnströms kök was also chosen as Restaurant of the Year at the same gala.

Five restaurants in Gothenburg received a much­co­veted Michelin Star in 2011. They are Basement, Fond, 28+, Kock & Vin and Thörnströms Kök.

It therefore came as no great surprise to win recogni­tion from Stockholm. It was in November that the Swedish government, represented by Eskil Erlandsson, Minister for Rural Affairs, announced Gothenburg as Food Capital of Sweden.

The title is not just about good food. The holder also has to meet criteria such as providing opportunities for employment, development and promoting Sweden as a culinary nation. Regional collaboration in West Swe­den that encourages small­scale local food production thus played an important role in winning this honour.

CLOSE COLLABORATIONGöteborg & Co has worked closely with the West Sweden Tourist Board, city restaurants and Gothenburg Res­taurant Association to highlight the importance of good food in building a complete image for Gothenburg.

Gothenburg is the only Swedish city that is a mem­ber of Delice, an international network of Good Food Cities of the World.

Delice focuses on elements such as culinary training and local produce, and sees gastronomy as a way of de­veloping tourism in cities. Membership of Delice gives

» Food and tourism are worth special research.

» More and more people see food as a good reason to travel. This type of niche tourism is attractive as it chimes with the vision of Sweden as a culinary nation.

» The Swedish Board of Agriculture and the County Administrative Board of Västra Göta-land have granted Göteborg & Co funds to make a detailed study of food tourism.

» The study will take twelve months and will ask the following questions: Who are food tourists? What are they looking for and how should food tourism be marketed?

FOOD CAPITAL OF SWEDEN

Jury’s verdict:“Because Gothenburg can offer a varied menu that revolves around ingredients from the sea. The well-developed networks in the region link together the city and the country, small-scale food producers and industry, and highlight the importance of good food in medical care, schools and social care. Gothenburg is an attractive city for both national and international tourism and culinary experiences.”

Gothenburg the opportunity to take part and show its abilities in situations where we would otherwise not be involved. For example, Gothenburg was the only international city to be invited to the Chicago Gourmet Festival in October. Stefan Karlsson, chef at Restau­rang Fond, gave a talk about Scandinavian food and demonstrated the cuisine of Gothenburg on stage.

To generate further interest in Gothenburg as the food capital of Sweden, Göteborg & Co has also dedi­cated a regularly updated page to food on its website at goteborg.com.

By clicking on the “Eat” tab, visitors can see guides to the city’s restaurants, culinary attractions, food reviews, awards, news, interviews with personalities, recipes and much more.

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The public and private sectors in Gothenburg have worked closely with each other for many years. Mem­ber companies and organisations in TIG provide a clear example of this collaboration. Without the time, com­mitment and resources invested by these members, many of the big annual events that we take for granted today would never have come about.

Examples include the Gothenburg International Science Festival, Gothenburg Culture Festival and Student Göteborg. TIG regularly assesses the business environment in Gothenburg. In autumn the group also conducted a major survey in consultation with the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and Business Region Göteborg. The aim is to extend collaboration between employers and students.

The Trade & Industry Group also co­arranged seve­ral key conferences and meetings, including the Center

for Intellectual Property (CIP) forum, which brought together 400 delegates from 26 countries. The confe­rence focused on the global knowledge economy.

The Global Forum is a meeting place that exami­nes globalisation issues from the perspective of West Sweden. This year’s theme was employment skills. A seminar entitled Attractive Knowledge Region for the Future was also arranged by TIG in collaboration with Business Region Göteborg and Region Västra Göta­land.

TIG also represents Göteborg & Co in the long­stan­ding GO partnership between Gothenburg and Oslo. The whole of Västra Götaland and Akershus and Öst­fold are now represented on the working groups that have been set up to stimulate economic, cultural and sustainable development in communications, trade development, tourism & culture and education.

NETWORKS MAKE US STRONGERThe Trade & Industry Group (TIG) links together the city, industry and academia. This network plays a unique and vital role in the success of Göteborg & Co. More than SEK 100 million has been invested over the last 20 years in supporting and reinforcing development in the main focus areas of trade & industry, the learning environment and events.

EXAMPLES OF TIG INITIATIVES IN 2011: » Theatre. GEST performs theatre in English for

English­speaking audiences who do not understand Swedish. Teater Kattma specialises in performances about disabilities and disabled people.

» The Entrepreneurial Chase. A competition to encourage young people aged 19–26 to test their entrepreneurial skills and set up their own com­panies in the future. Three­man teams are set real assignments by companies.

» Young Enterprise. Upper secondary students are given the opportunity to run their own companies for one school year. TIG is a partner in Young Enter­prise. In 2011–2012 some 550 students are expected to start Young Enterprise companies.

» Framtidsfrön – school enterprise environmental rally. An environmental challenge for primary and secondary school pupils. Children and their teachers solve tasks and real­life problems that are linked to the business world. TIG provides funding and set its own challenge: how can we dispose of all the litter after an event?

» The Company Prize. TIG encourages good enter­prise and awarded the prize to Gothenburg Film Studios and Idevio at the opening evening of the Culture Festival.

» International Science Festival. Project is managed by TIG. The fifteenth festival was held on 3–15 May and it is aimed at the public, schools and scientists.

» Student Göteborg. Organised by TIG, Chalmers Uni­versity of Technology, the University of Gothenburg

and Gothenburg Association of Student Unions. The traditional kick­off event at the Trädgårn restaurant in September drew over 2,000 students.

» Antigone. TIG supported the stage performance of Antigone at Gothenburg City Theatre, a co­produc­tion with a theatre group in Tanzania.

» Art exhibition. A solo exhibition by Swedish artist and cartoonist Jan Lööf at Gothenburg Museum of Art attracted large crowds and received financial support from TIG.

» Simon and the Oaks. TIG co-financed this award-winning film, which is set in Gothenburg.

MEMBERS OF TIG 2011:AstraZeneca, Business Region Göteborg, Castellum, Chalmers University of Technology, the Swedish Property Federation, the Port of Gothenburg, the Gothenburg Trade Association, the Göteborg Region Association of Local Authorities, the City of Gothen­burg, the University of Gothenburg, Handelsbanken, Swedavia, NCC, Nobel Biocare, Nordea, Posten, SCA, SEB, SKF, Skanska, Stena Line, the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, Swedbank, Telia and Volvo.

TIG’S VISION:“Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group will act as a platform for collaboration between trade and indu­stry, organisations, municipalities and universities in the task of improving and developing Gothenburg’s competitiveness.”

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The vision of a sustainable city gives a competitive advantage. Acting responsibly and respecting the en­vironment simply make good business sense.Gothenburg is well on the way. No congress delegate or exhibition visitor can fail to notice the efforts that are being made to create a sustainable city today.One big advantage is already apparent in the fact that most facilities – conference premises, hotels and arenas – are within walking distance.Another benefit is the strong and genuine commitment of our stakeholders in industry and society.

AWARD-WINNING CITYThe broad collaboration between municipalities, com­merce and industry delivers results. Last year Gothen­burg was voted Best Eco Tourism Destination 2011 – Europe. The prize is awarded each year to cities around the world by the magazine Business Destinations. The winning city is selected from the nominations by busi­ness travellers.

Gothenburg aims to be an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable city. Seventy-five per cent of all hotels are environmen­tally certified today, and in 2011 Gothenburg was voted the Best Eco Tourism Destination.

SUSTAINABILITY THAT PAYS ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTSSeveral projects are underway as part of the vision to achieve a sustainable society:

» Sustainable Gothenburg: the goal is to work with companies to develop the city into one of the world’s leading sustainable destinations for meetings and events. The project was initiated by Göteborg & Co in partnership with the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and the City of Gothenburg.

» Environmental diplomas: companies, organi­sations, conferences and events can all apply for an environmental diploma. To achieve this recognition they must meet a number of special environmental criteria and be approved by the city’s Environmental Administration. By 2011, 75 per cent of the hotels in the city had gained some form of environmental certification or

diploma. The International Science Festival, the Culture Festival, Gothenburg Christmas City, Way Out West, Where the action is and Goth­enburg City Race STCC are all environmentally certified events.

» Green Gothenburg showcases promising environ­mental initiatives in the municipality to interested companies and organisations. The project is managed by Göteborg & Co on behalf of four municipal companies: Göteborg Energi, Förvalt­nings AB Framtiden, Älvstranden Utveckling AB and Renova. Since 1 May 2011 a total of 120 people from Sweden, China, Finland, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, France, Great Britain and Germany have taken part in study visits. The visitors represented energy companies, housing companies, environ­mental administrations, city planning offices, consulates and the media.

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GOTHENBURG AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTKofi Annan, former UN General Secretary, and the Tigray project in Ethiopia, represented by Sue Ed­wards, received the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development in 2011 in Gothenburg.

The two award winners share the prize of SEK one million for their efforts to achieve a sustainable food supply in Africa. The award was presented by Lena Ek, Minister for the Environment, and the prize ceremony was attended by Jan Eliasson, former Minister of Foreign Affairs. The award winners were selected for having made major contributions in different ways to promote ecologically sustainable food production in Africa. This is one of the big challenges facing the con­tinent, as the population is forecast to grow from 900 million to 3.6 billion by the end of the century.

The Gothenburg Award was set up in 1999 by the City of Gothenburg and a number of companies with the aim of “stimulating further development and recognising strategic work in sustainable development, nationally and internationally”.

AND THE WINNER IS…

AND THE WINNERS ARE…Two Australian fish researchers and a Basque celebrity chef won this year’s Kungsfenan, the Swedish Seafood Award 2011. This is one of the top prizes in the world for Sustainable Fishing and Maritime Gastronomy. Along with a number of other organisations and companies, Göteborg & Co shares the task of awarding the prize and ar­ranging a simultaneous event for discussing issues on the marine environment, sustainable fishing and fish. The prizes were awarded on 21 May 2011 in Gothenburg.

The Swedish Seafood Award for Sustainable Fishing was given to two Australian researchers, Keith J Sainsbury and Tony Smith.

The Swedish Seafood Award for Maritime Gast­ronomy went to Elena Arzak, a celebrity chef from Spain. The Innovator of the Year Award was given to Josef Nygren, a fish farmer.

GOTHENBURG VOTED ECO TOURISM DESTINATION 2011 IN STIFF COM-PETITION WITH BERLIN AND VIENNAGöteborg & Co works actively with the Environmen­tal Administration and the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre on the Sustainable Gothenburg project to make Gothenburg a leading sustainable destination for meetings and events. The city has now been voted Eco Tourism Destination 2011!

The award is presented annually by the Business Destinations magazine from nominations submit­ted by business travellers.

“This is the first signal that we are making good progress towards our vision,” comments Lennart Johansson, manager of Gothenburg Convention Bureau and in charge of Sustainable Gothenburg at Göteborg & Co.

CREATIVE GOTHENBURG COMPANIES WIN 2011 COMPANY AWARDGöteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group has sup­ported good enterprise and innovative initiatives in the city for many years through the Gothenburg Company Awards. This year’s prize winners were Gothenburg Film Studios and Idevio. Gothenburg Film Studios was founded as recently as 2008 and serves as an umbrella for around 45 companies, each with different specialities in film production. Filmbyn, which was set up at Lindholmen Science Park, has quickly become one of the most success­ful in Sweden.

Idevio is a Gothenburg company that was established in 2002 and now employs 10 people. Smartphones have meant a big boost for the company, which provides mobile apps – including a downloadable map of the city.

MIA SKÄRINGER VOTED GOTHENBURGER OF THE YEARMia Skäringer, one of the most popular artists in Sweden, was chosen as Gothenburger of the Year. Her successes include the play “Dyngkåt och hur helig som helst”, about her divorce and bringing up her children, as well as two books and the series “Solsidan”. Her acting and storytelling have captured the hearts of many Swedes.

Mia received the award at a ceremony in Nordstan shop­ping centre in Gothenburg on Thursday 22 December.

The jury of Gothenburger of the Year is made up of representatives of Göteborg & Co, Sveriges Radio P4 Göte­borg and GT. The jury commented:“Mia Skäringer is an artist who dares to be in the wrong. She has won laughter on radio, television, on stage and in books by telling her story honestly. As in all great comedy there are also black moments. Mia is a generous come-dienne who entertains many with her art, which makes her a good ambassador for Gothenburg and a worthy Gothenburger of the Year”.

GOTEBORG.COM – ONE OF SWEDEN’S BEST WEBSITESThe magazine Internetworld, which publishes a list of the best 100 websites each year, included goteborg.com, the official visitor and events guide for Gothenburg, in its prestigious top 100 list for the second year in succession. goteborg.com is notable as the only city guide on the list.The jury commented:“goteborg.com is a must for residents of Gothen-burg and for tourists. The website is attractive, topical and radiates enthusiasm and a passion for development. The content is dynamic, with a good balance of fun and seriousness. The entire website breathes professionalism and there is no doubt that the developers behind goteborg.com know what they are doing and make excep-tional use of the potential of the web. Exciting new additions since last year include live broad-casts and a guide to Håkan Hellström’s work that identifies the locations named in his lyrics”Gothenburg was one of the first cities to publish an online city guide to give advice on tourist attractions, events, restaurants, entertainment and culture. The first version was launched back in 1995.

SHOWER OF AWARDS FOR FILM ABOUT GOTHENBURGThe film “Meet the world in Gothenburg” has won a string of prizes at international festivals, in fact six prizes in total, including one at the Cannes Internatio­nal Film Festival. The eight-minute film was completed in 2010 and portrays the best sides of Gothenburg: the coast and islands, the food, the culture and entertain­ment, and perhaps most of all – the people.

SIMON AND THE OAKS WINS GöTEBORG GRAND FILM AWARDSimon and the Oaks was announced as the winner of the 2011 Grand Film Award at the opening of Göteborg Inter­national Film Festival. The film was chosen by the Goth­enburg filmgoers from three feature films nominated by the Guldbagge Award jury. This was the seventeenth time the prize had been presented by Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group and the City of Gothenburg. The award is intended to help revitalise the Swedish film industry and make the film festival in Gothenburg the natural meeting place for Swedish film fans.

WAY OUT WEST – MOST INNOVATIVE FESTIVALWay Out West was voted the Most Innovative Festival at the international MTV O Music Awards. Way Out West competed as the only Scandinavian festival among several big and well­established festivals. A strong social media presence, a mobile festival app and collabora­tion with music streaming services such as Spotify were among the reasons for the award.The MTV O Music Awards is a new gala that aims to re­ward the “best art, creativity, personality and technology of music into the digital space”.

Way Out West was a real underdog in the competition as the only Scandinavian festival among several large and established festivals, such as Lollapalooza and Coachella. Thanks to strong support from many dedicated fans, Way Out West overtook the others on the final straight and took the prize as “The Most Innovative Festival” in the world.

Göteborg & Co helped to develop the concept for Way Out West, created the opportunities for it and brought the festival to Gothenburg. The company is still actively invol­ved in developing the event and is proud of its success.

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NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH FOR GöTEBORG & COPeople’s first impressions of a company or destination comes from its website nowadays, and the Internet is becoming an increasingly important medium. A trial of a new website for Göteborg & Co was carried out in 2010 and the new site was launched in 2011. The goal is to reinforce and communicate the Göteborg & Co brand and firmly establish the company’s identity with visitors. The target groups for the new website are companies and organisations, Gothenburg’s municipal companies and administrations, the media, jobseekers, students and employees of Göteborg & Co. The website is created in Wordpress, a web publishing tool that makes it easy to adapt the site to suit future needs. It is written in English and Swedish, and social media such as Twitter, YouTube and RSS news feeds are integrated into the website.

A newsletter is distributed each week and has been warmly welcomed. Around 1,700 people subscribe to the newsletters.

GOTEBORG.COM IN THE TOP 100 AGAINThe magazine Internetworld, which publishes a list of the best 100 websites each year, has included goteborg.com in its prestigious top 100 list for the second year in succession.

goteborg.com is notable as the only city guide on the list.

MOBILITY INCREASINGLY IMPORTANTFollowing the launch of our iPhone app (Göteborg City Guide), which mostly uses information that is updated automatically from goteborg.com, we have now also launched an android version. This app is also available in both English and Swedish, and is free of charge. The

DIGITAL ADVANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

apps were downloaded around 27,000 times in 2011. A mobile city card was also introduced during the

year. This is downloaded in the form of a barcode, which can then be scanned at museums and other city attractions.

IMPROVEMENTS AND REFINEMENTSThe bookings module for hotels and packages was completely redesigned in 2011. Improvements include a clearer and more efficient interface, additional offers and more flexible combinations.

We continued working on our social media links and now have one of the largest Facebook groups among tourist destinations, with around 34,000 “likes”. We have also set up a day trip using the popular Gowalla service.

Live video was offered for the first time in 2011 through the Bambuser video service. One example was

a live studio during the Way Out West music festival, including interviews, pre­recorded tracks and music performances.

We have put a lot of effort into improving the quality of site content. One example was the redesign of our “Eat” section in partnership with restaurants in Gothenburg to make it more appealing through the use of video, reviews and recipes, etc. This even attracted publicity at a food conference in Chicago. We have also created many guides to assist tourists and visitors. They include our Håkan Hellström guide, which shows locations in Gothenburg that are mentioned in his lyrics, as well as a number of shopping guides.

goteborg.com received around 1.7 million visits in 2011.

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When travel journalists with the British Sunday Telegraph were asked to write about their best travel memories of the year for a feature headed “The Best of 2011”, reporter Simon Horsford chose to focus on Gothenburg and the West Coast of Sweden, and especially its food: “A revelation this year on a trip to Gothenburg was Swedish cuisine. Gothenburg itself was lovely, with its mix of parks, canals and museums, but it was its food that was really outstanding.”

Travellers tell others about their experiences through blogs, tweets, travel websites, booking websites and the various social media. They report what they like and dislike. And of course, there are all the traditional media, such as magazines, radio and television.

Together this shapes the image and brand of a destination, which in turn influences where we decide to travel.

In 2011, Göteborg & Co arranged visits by more than 130 foreign journalists and bloggers. The result was a long list of articles in the printed media and online. We also maintained regular contact with editorial staff who requested photos, information and news tips.

This is an active process that runs in close partner­ship with the West Sweden Tourist Board. The destina­tion we offer is the city, with its closeness to the sea and nature. Travellers can enjoy culture, entertainment and shopping, as well as peace and relaxation among one of the most beautiful stretches of coast and islands in the world. This is an unbeatable combination.

Restaurants and food are a recurring theme in many accounts: “Die gemütliche Hafenstadt an der Westküste Schwedens hat kulinarisch einiges mehr zu bieten als Köttbullar und Knäckebrot: frisch gefisch­tes Seafood und eine Vielzahl kreativer Restaurants mit ausgeziechneten Küchen und Köchen” wrote the German magazine Lecker.

Gothenburg has also attracted wide coverage as a city for music, in particular Way Out West. Swedish de­tective novels set on the West Coast have also attracted publicity, primarily in the German press, and another frequent theme in international articles on Gothenburg has been Christmas and Swedish traditions such as Lucia, as well as our Christmas markets.

Many TV productions were recorded in Gothenburg

during the year. ZDF from Germany and Arte from France produced features for the programme “Discove­ring the north”. RAI from Italy did a piece for the travel programme “Allefalde del Kilimanjiaro”, and YLE from Finland recorded a food feature in Gothenburg for the series “Mat så in i Norden” (Typically Nordic Cuisine).

RTL from the Netherlands did several features for the food and lifestyle programme “4me”.

A Chinese­language TV channel that broadcasts in 22 countries and is based in Taiwan, produced five features on Gothenburg for its “Meet the Future Cities” series.

FOOD, MUSIC AND MYSTERIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Getting the right focus and having the courage to rule out what is less relevant will become increasingly important as competition grows. A general evaluation model has been developed in an effort to maximise the effect of the company’s wide­ranging activities. This was then adapted to suit the various business areas. The model describes if and how the company’s various business areas should handle internal or external ini­tiatives based on the company’s mission.

Our ability to adapt and reshape our organisation is an important factor for success. The process of developing Göteborg & Co’s activities that began in 2011 should therefore be seen as ongoing. The work of the commit­tees is also developing in parallel. They play a valuable role in reinforcing and refining the goals set by the board.

GETTING PRIORITIES AND FOCUS RIGHTDestination marketing companies have two complex tasks. The first is to market the destination as an entity. The second is to unite commerce and industry, which are traditionally fragmented.

» Does the initiative help to make the city a more attractive place to live, work in or visit?

» Can the initiative be carried out and financed within an existing or new partnership?

» Does the initiative help us to reach our de-sired position?

» Does the initiative contribute to more visitor nights in the short term or long term?

EVALUATION MODEL

”Göteborg & Co ska vara Europas ledande destinations utvecklingsbolag. Med ett hjärta som klappar för Göteborg.”Bolagsvision

CEO

HR

STRATEGIC PROJECTS

TRADE & INDUSTRY GROUP

BUSINESS & PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS EVENT OPERATIONS

& VISITOR SERVICE

FINANCE & IT

MARKETING & SALESTOURISM MEETINGS EVENTS

TRADE & INDUSTRY GROUPTIG works for the long­term growth of the Gothen­burg region by supporting, stimulating, initiating and promoting projects in a number of strategic areas.

BUSINESS & PARTNERSHIP » Represents the company in partnership and finan­

cial matters.

» Develops partnership and financial matters to facili­tate the company’s assignments and meet the need for flexible finance.

» Assesses the level of external business support for destination development initiatives with the aid of an evaluation model.

» Responsible for international partnership networks such as European Cities Marketing and Delice – good food cities of the world.

DEVELOPMENT » Represents the company in development matters.

» Identifies external and internal development pro­jects and ideas through partnership.

» Implements development matters based on an evaluation model.

MARKETING & SALES » Attracts meetings and events to the city.

» Markets the city to tourists in close collaboration with Communications.

» Offers attractive reasons to travel to Gothenburg and the surrounding area.

COMMUNICATIONS » Promotes and develops the brands of the company

and the destination.

» Responsible for the company’s internal and external communication through all channels.

» Responsible for PR and media matters.

EVENT OPERATIONS & VISITOR SERVICE

» Meets visitors and communicates the image of Gothenburg.

» Implements or supports projects that have potential according to the evaluation model, which take the form of internal or external assignments.

FINANCE, HR & IT » Supports the company in financial, HR, IT and legal

matters, so that operations can be conducted as efficiently and effectively as possible.

STRATEGIC PROJECTS » Responsible for the preparation of the Centenary

Plan for Gothenburg 2021.

ROLES OF THE GROUPS

BOARD OF GöTEBORG & CO

Björn SandmarkHead of Cultural Affairs,City of Gothenburg

Stefan JohanssonChairman of the Association of Gothenburg HotelsCEO, Nääs Castle

Lennart BlimanChairman of the Association of Large Hotels, CEO, First Hotel G

Joacim CarlsonArea Manager Goth-enburg,West Sweden Chamber of Commerce

Bengt LindeChairman of Gothenburg Restaurant Association,Restaurateur

Sabine SöndergaardCEO, Göteborg & Co

Carin BouvinMarketing & Sales, employee representative,Göteborg & Co

Thomas TorkelssonCEO, Got Event

Mats NilssonChairman of Trade & Industry Group,Vice President, Volvo Brand Management

Dag AgårdCity Association,CEO, NK

Andreas AndersenCEO, Liseberg

Patrik AnderssonCEO, Business Region Göteborg AB

Olle Sundin(co-opted) Airport Director, Swedavia AB, Göteborg Landvetter Airport

Jonas Ransgård (M)Vice ChairmanCity of Gothenburg

Claes BerglundDirector, Public Affairs, Stena Line AB

Olof NyströmSecretaryAdvokatfirman Lindahl

Göran Bengtsson(co-opted) Governor, Västra Götaland County

Anneli Hulthén (S)Chairman City of Gothenburg

Carin KindbomCEO, Swedish Exhibi-tion & Congress Centre

Nils-Gunnar ErnstsonCEO, Göteborg Region Association of Local Authorities

Lars Rehnman(co-opted) CEO, Universeum Science Discovery Centre

Lars-Göran LarssonCity of Gothenburg

Ninni LidénSJ

Sabine SöndergaardGöteborg & Co

Marie JacobssonCongrex

Susanne NygaardSAS

Max MarkussonGöteborg & CoChairman

Bert SaluäärThe Association of Gothenburg Hotels

Martin KurzwellySwedish Exhibition & Congress Centre

Björn RydevikThe Sahlgrenska Academy

Magnus HallbergThe Association of Large Hotels

Annika Hallman Göteborg & Co

Karin ForsbergMCI

Johan CarlstenChalmers University of Technology

Magnus HedlundThe Association of Large Hotels

Lennart Johansson Göteborg & Co

Carin KindbomSwedish Exhibition & Congress CentreVice Chairman

Brett WeihartSwedavia AB

Christer JohanssonGothenburg Restau-rant Association

Networks provide fresh ideas and motivation, and encourage development.

For two decades, Göteborg & Co has been a platform for collaboration that allows the public and private sec­tors to meet and develop Gothenburg as a destination, and as a city of learning and events.

This approach of involving many different parts of the city, its institutions and trade & industry has proved

DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT THROUGH BROAD COLLABORATION

a successful model that many have tried but few have managed to copy. Commitment and willingness to work together only develop out of working towards the same goals over the long term.

Each of the business areas of Göteborg & Co has a committee made up of representatives of owners and partners. These committees guide much of the practi­cal work of each of the business areas: Meetings,

COMMITTEES GöTEBORG & COMEETINGS

38 39

Trade & Industry Group, Leisure Travel and Events.The board’s overriding task is to establish business

plans and take other strategic decisions, as well as con­tributing expertise and trend analyses based on their respective professional roles.

The members of the board and the various commit­tees are presented here.

Linda AbrahamssonThe Association of Large Hotels

Ronnie HallgrenGothenburg City Theatre

Petter UllbergSwedish Exhibition & Congress Centre

Lars EkbergMunicipality of Mölndal

Kent KierdorfLiseberg

Lena PutterThe Association of Gothenburg Hotels

Bert SaluäärThe Association of Gothenburg Hotels

COMMITTEES GöTEBORG & CO LEISURE TRAVEL

COMMITTEES GöTEBORG & CO EVENTS

Maria JanssonThe Association of Large Hotels

Martin HanssonThe Göteborg Opera

Thomas TorkelssonGot Event

Björn SandmarkGothenburg Culture Committee

Åsa Borvén Göteborg & Co

Helena Wessman,Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Marie-Louise LjungGothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Anders BergbrantAstraZeneca

Harriet SundaeusNobel Biocare

Mats DynevikSkanska

Johnolof OlssonThe Gothenburg Trade Association

Bengt MagnussonVolvo Cars, Sweden

Birgitta L-ÖfverholmGöteborg & Co

Eva-Lena AlbihnBusiness Region Göteborgfrom Sept

Malin EngelbrechtCastellum

Per-Olof RehnquistUniversity of Goth-enburg

Henrik BrättemarkPosten

COMMITTEES GöTEBORG & CO TRADE & INDUSTRY GROUP

VacantChalmers University of Technology

Katarina LjungqvistHandelsbanken

Mimmi LagergrenSCA Hygiene Products

Mats NilssonVolvoChairman

VacantThe Port of Gothenburg

Patrik LundNCC

Ingalill ÖstmanSKF

Claes LarssonTeliaSonera

Sabine SöndergaardGöteborg & CoVice Chairman

40 41

Magnus ErsmanSwedish Property Fe-deration, Gothenburg

Olle SundinSwedavia Göteborg Landvetter Airport

Lennart SondénSEB

Anna JonssonSwedbank

Petter UllbergSwedish Exhibition & Congress Centre

Max MarkussonGöteborg & Co

Janne JohanssonTidbloms

Per AlexanderssonLiseberg AB

Carsten CruseStena Line

Jerker DellbladThe Association of Large Hotels

Carina HalvordUniverseum Science Discovery Centre

Kristian AndreassonThe Association of Large Hotels

Erik EdbladUniverseum Science Discovery Centre

Max MarkussonGöteborg & CoChairman

Max MarkussonGöteborg & CoChairman

Birgitta L-ÖfverholmGöteborg & Co

Anna FalckGöteborg Book Fair

Nils-Gunnar ErnstsonGöteborg Region Association of Local Authorities

Mats EngströmNordea

Joakim KenndalStena Line

Patrik AnderssonBusiness Region Göteborguntil Sept

42 43

The Board of Directors and the CEO of Göteborg & Co Träffpunkt AB hereby submit the following Annual Re­port. All amounts are in SEK unless otherwise stated.

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

OWNERSHIP

Göteborg & Co Träffpunkt AB is owned by Göteborg & Co Kommunintressent AB (50%), Gothenburg Region Association of Local Authorities (15%), West Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry (5%), Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre (5%), Stena Line AB (5%), Association of Large Hotels (5%), City Associa­tion (5%), Association of Gothenburg Hotels (5%) and SHR/Gothenburg Restaurant Association (5%).Kommunintressent AB is owned in turn by the City of Gothenburg (55%), Liseberg AB (15%) and Got Event AB (30%).

OPERATIONS IN 2011

Göteborg & Co Träffpunkt AB has the task of market­ing and taking part in the development of Gothenburg as a tourist, meeting and event city. The company shall be an internationally leading cooperation platform for destination development. It is owned jointly by the municipality and the business sector.

Tourism in Gothenburg showed growth in 2011 for the 20th consecutive year. The number of guest nights in the Gothenburg region rose to 3.6 million, tour­ism sales totalled SEK 21.5 billion, and the number of employees (full­time equivalent jobs) was 15,800. Hotel guest nights rose sharply in the first half of the year and the good figures continued for the rest of the year. Gothenburg’s strategy of meetings and confer­ences, cultural and sports events and leisure tourism complementing each other is successful.

This year the Gothenburg Culture Festival attracted 790,000 visits to more than 1,000 events. The Inter­national Science Festival has grown from an annual spring event to year­round activities, attracting nearly

70,000 visits to the main programme. Gothenburg Christmas City finished the year with a New Year’s celebration and has become a well­attended tradition. Retail did well in the run­up to Christmas, but bad weather reduced the number of visitors to Liseberg Amusement Park. These annual events as well as sports and music festivals make major contributions to the city’s tourism industry and are key communication platforms.

Marketing campaigns for the destination were imple­mented in Scandinavia, Germany, the United King­dom, Italy, the USA and Spain in collaboration with Visit Sweden and the West Sweden Tourist Board.

Accessibility and direct flights are vital for Gothen­burg’s success on the non­Scandinavian markets. Cur­rently there are around 80 direct routes from around 60 destinations to the city’s two airports. Gothenburg Landvetter Airport saw a record of 19 per cent increase in passengers in 2011. Gothenburg tourism will have the capacity for further expansion. Several new hotel projects are scheduled for completion in the next few years, such as Clarion Hotel Post in 2012, and Gothia Towers and Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel in 2014.

With regard to future development, the company prioritises participation in the following areas:• increasing accessibility by stimulating the devel­

opment of new train, air and ferry services

• increasing efforts to attract cultural, entertain­ment and sports events as well as congresses, trade shows, meetings and corporate activities

• increasing marketing of the destination in strate­gic markets together with the City of Gothenburg, Västra Götaland region and the tourist industry

• developing and renewing the major central arenas and facilities in the city

• finalising plans for Gothenburg’s 400th anniver­sary in 2021

• preparing pilot studies for the City Executive Board relating to major strategic mega­events.

ANNUAL REPORT

2011 2010 2009 2008

Operating income 234 518 216 887 248 429 213 937

Profit after financial items 3 944 909 1 317 497

Total assets 86 056 74 046 78 898 66 084

Equity/assets ratio* 25.2 % 26.1 % 22.3 % 26.6 %

Average number of employees 133 116 112 103

Sales per employee 1 763 1 870 2 218 2 077

*Equity + 73.7% of untaxed reserves/total assets

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT IN THE GOTHENBURG REGION

2011 2010 2009 2008

Total tourist sales SEKm 21 500 21 000 20 500 19 800

Market share of commercial hotel and youth hostel nights 10.4 % 10.5 % 10.7 % 11.1 %

Number of guest nights, thousands 3 590 3 387 3 214 3 193

Number of employees in travel and tourist industries 15 800 15 500 16 100 14 500

Forecast figures for 2011. Outcome for other years.

PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL POSITIONThe following table shows the company’s performance with regard to some central earnings measures and key ratios (amounts in SEK thousand):

PROPOSED APPROPRIATION OF PROFITSThe following profits are at the disposal of the Annual General Meeting:

Profit brought forward 9 055 615

Net profit for the year 2 548 922

Total (SEK): 11 604 537

The Board of Directors proposes that the profits be appropriated so that SEK 11,604,537 is carried forward.

INCOME STATEMENTNote 2011 2010

Operating income 1 234 517 827 216 887 390

Cost of services sold -24 274 329 -38 453 181

Other external costs 2–3 -133 795 195 -106 751 850

Personnel costs 4–5 -72 657 272 -70 188 666

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 6 -855 145 -976 895

Total operating expenses -231 581 941 -216 370 592

Operating profit 2 935 886 516 798

Interest income 1 012 079 403 192

Interest expense and similar profit/loss items -4 028 -11 071

Profit after financial items 3 943 937 908 919

Appropriations 7 173 700 213 300

Tax on profit for the year 8 -1 568 715 725 633

Net profit for the year 2 548 922 1 847 852

Annual Report for the financial year 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011

44 45

BALANCE SHEET Note 2011-12-31 2010-12-31

ASSETS

Property, plant and equipment

Equipment 6 2 127 906 2 705 721

Financial assets

Other non-current securities 9 146 000 146 000

Deferred tax assets 8 850 262 1 577 709

Total non-current assets 3 124 168 4 429 430

Current assets

Inventories, goods for resale 536 800 525 002

Current receivables

Trade receivables 26 445 516 6 901 954

Receivables from group companies 46 744 788 47 755 685

Tax assets 2 327 177 2 149 950

Other receivables 0 2 733 367

Prepaid expenses and accrued income 3 069 600 6 482 705

Total current receivables 78 587 081 66 023 661

Cash and bank balances 3 807 827 3 068 147

Total current assets 82 931 708 69 616 810

TOTAL ASSETS 86 055 876 74 046 240

Note 2011-12-31 2010-12-31

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity

Restricted equity

Share capital (30,000 shares) 3 000 000 3 000 000

Statutory reserve 1 208 540 1 208 540

4 208 540 4 208 540

Non-restricted equity

Profit brought forward 9 055 615 7 207 763

Net profit for the year 2 548 922 1 847 852

11 604 537 9 055 615

Total equity 10 15 813 077 13 264 155

Untaxed reserves 11 8 021 700 8 195 400

Current liabilities

Trade payables 23 571 350 16 294 466

Liabilities to group companies 12 425 381 8 047 542

Other current liabilities 2 201 040 1 511 102

Accrued expenses and deferred income 12 24 023 327 26 733 575

Total current liabilities 62 221 098 52 586 685

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 86 055 876 74 046 240

Memorandum items

Pledged assets

Blocked bank funds 2 800 000 2 800 000

Contingent liabilities None None

CASH FLOW STATEMENT

2011 2010

Operating activities

Profit after financial items 3 943 937 908 919

Adjustments for non-cash items 862 049 991 954

Tax paid -1 018 495 -2 489 938

Cash flow from operating activities before working capital changes 3 787 491 -589 065

Working capital changes

Inventories -11 799 226 114

Current receivables -12 386 192 7 016 832

Current liabilities 9 634 414 -6 485 919

Cash flow from operating activities 1 023 914 167 962

Investing activities

Sale of interests in associated companies 0 350 000

Investment in equipment -284 234 -935 439

Cash flow from investing activities -284 234 -585 439

Cash flow for the year 739 680 -417 477

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year 3 068 147 3 485 624

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year 3 807 827 3 068 147

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

The accounting principles applied comply with the Annual Accounts Act and the recommendations and statements of the Swedish Accounting Standards Board and FAR.

DEPRECIATION

Depreciation according to plan is based on the original cost of the assets and is al­located over the estimated useful life. Equipment is written off at 20% per year as its useful life is estimated to be 5 years.The difference between depreciation according to plan and book depreciation is shown as an appropriation.

INVENTORIES

Inventories have been valued at the lower of cost or fair value. The FIFO method has been applied when determining cost. Fair value consists of estimated sales value less estimated selling expense.

RECEIVABLES

Receivables have been recognised at the amounts expected to be received. Other as­sets and liabilities are recognised at nominal amounts unless otherwise stated in the notes below.

REVENUE

Revenue from sales of package tours is recognised as revenue on the booking date since all work relating to the transaction has then been carried out. The company recognises revenue from fixed-price service assignments carried out on completion of the work, in accordance with the Swedish Accounting Standards Board’s alternative rule in BFNAR 2003:3. This means that ongoing service assign­ments are valued in the balance sheet as direct expenses accrued less invoiced part payments.

46 47

Other revenue is recognised when the income can be estimated reliably and when, on the whole, all the risks and rights associated with ownership have been transferred to the purchaser, which normally takes place when goods are delivered or services provided.

TAXES

The tax expense or tax income for the period consists of current and deferred tax.Current tax is the tax calculated on the taxable profit for the period.Deferred tax is calculated on the difference between the carrying amounts of the company’s assets and liabilities and their tax base. The difference between these amounts is multiplied by the current tax rate, giving the amount of the deferred tax asset/liability. Deferred tax assets are recognised in the balance sheet to the extent that it is probable that the amounts can be utilised against future taxable profit.

LEASING

All lease agreements are recognised as operating lease agreements, which means that the lease payments are allocated on a straight­line basis over the lease term.

CASH FLOW STATEMENT

The cash flow statement is prepared using the indirect method, in accordance with the Swedish Financial Accounting Standards Council’s recommendation RR 7. The reported cash flow only includes transactions resulting in cash receipts or payments.

PARENT COMPANY

Göteborg & Co Träffpunkt AB is 50% owned by Göteborg & Co Kommunintressent AB, (556427­8751), which is in turn 100% indirectly owned by the City of Gothenburg (212000­1355). No purchases or sales between these companies took place during the financial year.

NOTE 1 OPERATING INCOME

2011 2010

Payment for assignments from City of Gothenburg 92 900 000 78 180 000

Income from sales of services 77 304 981 71 576 918

Marketing payment, project funds and other income from owners and stakeholders 64 312 846 67 130 472

234 517 827 216 887 390

NOTE 2 FEE AND REIMBURSEMENT

2011 2010

Deloitte AB

Audit assignment 117 500 118 500

Other audit services 94 500 30 000

Tax consultancy 40 900 34 700

Audit assignment refers to the statutory audit of the annual accounts, the accounting records and the administration of the Board of Directors and the CEO. Other audit servi-ces refers to an audit of the administration or the financial information that is required by statute, articles of association, regulations or agreements and that results in a report or some other document in addition to the audit report, as well as guidance or other assistance occasioned by observations in connection with an audit assignment. Other services are services that do not relate to the audit assignment, other audit services or tax consultancy.

NOTE 4 PERSONNEL

2011 2010

Men 34 31

Women 99 85

133 116

The average number of employees as above has been calculated in relation to the company’s normal hours worked per year. In order to give a more complete picture of employment in the company, the table below shows the number of permanent employ-ees and fixed-term employees (project employment, seasonal employment, temporary employment or consultants) during the year.

Number of full-time equivalent jobs Number of people

Permanent employees 72 90

Fixed-term employees / Consultants 61 348

133 438

Information on sickness absence 2011 2010

Total sickness absence 1.54 % 1.84 %

Long-term sickness absence 44.44 % 37.00 %

Sickness absence for women 1.73 % 2.04 %

Sickness absence for men 0.99 % 1.25 %

Sickness absence employees aged 29 or under 1.03 % 2.60 %

Sickness absence employees aged 30–49 1.68 % 2.19 %

Sickness absence employees aged 50 or over 1.36 % 0.42 %

Total sickness absence is stated as a percentage of employees’ total regular working hours. Long-term sickness absence refers to absence over a continuous period of 60 days or more.

NOTE 3 LEASING

2011 2010

Lease payments for the financial year 951 361 946 546

Future contracted lease payments:

Within one year 458 574 847 642

Two to five years 147 352 426 406

More than five years 0 0

48 49

NOTE 5 WAGES, OTHER REMUNERATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY EXPENSES

2011 2010

Board and CEO

Wages and other remuneration 1 628 695 1 892 005

Social security expenses 1 063 450 3 540 790

Of which pension expenses (444 000) (2 356 672)

Other employees

Wages and other remuneration 46 748 881 42 404 310

Social security expenses 19 528 690 18 413 321

Of which pension expenses (4 503 714) (4 591 341)

Total

Wages and other remuneration 48 377 576 44 296 315

Social security expenses 20 592 140 21 954 111

Of which pension expenses (4 947 714) (6 948 013)

The company’s CEO has a 6-month term of notice. If the company terminates the contract, the CEO is entitled to severance pay equivalent to 18 months’ salary in addition to salary during the term of notice.

The CEO has a defined contribution pension plan, with no guaranteed final pension level.

The company’s pension obligations for the previous CEO have been secured through endowment insurance.

2011 2010

Number Of which men Number Of which men

Board members 15 80 % 15 86 %

Senior management 8 50 % 13 48 %

NOTE 6 MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

2011-12-31 2010-12-31

Opening costs 12 192 058 11 479 444

Purchases 284 234 935 439

Sale and disposal -447 664 -222 825

Closing costs 12 028 628 12 192 058

Opening depreciation according to plan 9 486 337 8 717 208

Depreciation according to plan 855 145 976 895

Sale and disposal -440 760 -207 766

Closing depreciation according to plan 9 900 722 9 486 337

Closing residual value according to plan 2 127 906 2 705 721

NOTE 7 APPROPRIATIONS

2011 2010

Change in tax allocation reserve 568 300 213 300

Excess depreciation -394 600 0

173 700 213 300

NOTE 8 TAX ON PROFIT FOR THE YEAR

2011 2010

Current tax -841 268 -852 076

Deferred tax -727 447 1 577 709

-1 568 715 725 633

As from 2010 deferred tax is recognised in the balance sheet on temporary differences relating to pension insurance premiums paid and severance pay. The impact on earnings is SEK -727,447.

NOTE 9 OTHER NON-CURRENT SECURITIES

2011-12-31 2010-12-31

Svensk Turism AB 146 000 146 000

The par value of the above shares is SEK 100.

NOTE 10 EQUITY

Share capital

Restricted reserves

Non-restric-ted reserves

Net profit for the year

Opening balance 3 000 000 1 208 540 7 207 763 1 847 852

Appropriation of profit 1 847 852 -1 847 852

Net profit for the year 2 548 922

Closing balance 3 000 000 1 208 540 9 055 615 2 548 922

NOTE 11 UNTAXED RESERVES

2011-12-31 2010-12-31

Accumulated excess depreciation 394 600 0

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2006 0 1 633 900

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2007 2 769 000 2 769 000

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2008 192 500 192 500

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2009 650 000 650 000

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2010 1 660 000 1 660 000

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2011 1 290 000 1 290 000

Tax allocation reserve assessment year 2012 1 065 600 0

8 021 700 8 195 400

NOTE 12 ACCRUED EXPENSES AND DEFERRED INCOME

2011-12-31 2010-12-31

Staff related 8 999 118 9 000 078

Project related 7 413 264 8 323 380

Other 7 610 945 9 410 117

24 023 327 26 733 575

Gender distribution in senior management

50

GOTHENBURG, 27 FEBRUARY 2012

Anneli Hulthén (Chairman) Jonas Ransgård Patrik AnderssonAndreas Andersen Thomas Torkelsson Björn SandmarkNils-Gunnar Ernstsson Carin Kindbom Joacim CarlsonClaes Berglund Lennart Bliman Dag AgårdStefan Johansson Bengt Linde

Carin Bouvin (employee representative)

Sabine SöndergaardCEO

Our audit report was submitted on 27 February 2012.Deloitte AB

Gunnar Andersson, Authorised Public AccountantPRODUCTION: Göteborg & Co. PHOTOS: Elisabeth Dunker, Dick Gillberg, Lars Ardarve, Göran Assner, Lisa Barryd, Tommy Holl, Jorma Valkonen, Bobo Lauhage, Claes Jakobsson, Kjell Holmner, Johan Wingborg, Lisa Brunnström, Niklas Bernstone, Carina Gran, Ilar Gunilla Persson, Bengt Evertsson, Karl Gabor, Anna Hult. PRINTING: Elanders

GÖTEBORG & CO | mäSSANSGATA 8 | BOx 29 | SE-401 20 GÖTEBORG | TEL: +46(0)31-368 40 00 | FAx: +46(0)31-81 10 48 INFO@GOTEBORG.COm | CORPORATE.GOTEBORG.COm