Found an error?
Report now
One of the two small islands in the background is Tjuvholmen. Two competition winners from Switzerland have this island at their disposal for a year.
Visit Sweden / Fedja Salihbasic
Sweden is giving away a year on five of its 267,570 islands. One of the winners is a couple from Switzerland. However, they will not be able to settle down on Tjuvholmen.
The title of the competition was even better than the actual main prize: "Win an island". In reality, the five winners only get to spend a year on an uninhabited island. Among them is a couple from French-speaking Switzerland.
There are 267,570 islands in Sweden - more than in any other country. Having an island to yourself does not have to be a privilege for billionaires, according to Visit Sweden, the state tourism organization. The super-rich are also excluded from the selection process.
The competition organizers received 2242 application videos. Five are finally allocated their private island. You can see the corresponding clips of the five winners in the Instagram post.
However, the prize also comes with a touch of responsibility: the chosen ones are stewards of the piece of land entrusted to them. Tasks are not defined, but Visit Sweden certainly expects social media content from its island guardians. There is also a contribution of 20,000 Swedish kronor (around 1690 francs) for trips to Sweden and back home.
Jonathan Scyboz and Daniella Zarza Tapia are the lucky ones from Switzerland, Tjuvholmen is the name of their island. "A fringe of pine and spruce forests surrounds most of the coast, with clearings of birch and alder closer to the water." It is the only one of the five winning islands that is not in the sea, but in Lake Vänern.
What there is not on Tjuvholmen: accommodation. Visit Sweden recommends that the winners stay in a hotel with a view of their island. To get there, they should rent a kayak or bring their own boat.
The two temporary island owners tell"Watson " that they want to use their presence to find sponsors and partners. They see Tjuvholmen as a springboard for their social media careers.
They have numerous projects that they want to realize with friends and artists on their island. Presence and multiplication on the well-known platforms is obviously also the goal that Visit Sweden is pursuing with the competition.
Jonathan and Daniella cannot live on their island permanently, as they are not allowed to build. Under these conditions, it is indeed not very luxurious to be able to claim an entire island exclusively. However, the conditions are good for adventure content.
