The partnership reflects a growing trend in which travellers increasingly choose their destination based on the experiences on offer rather than the journey itself. The ambition is to make a visit to GöteborgsOperan as obvious a choice for international cultural travellers as venues in London or Hamburg, for example. By integrating Gothenburg's cultural life into its business strategy, Stena Line aims to broaden its offering and open customers' eyes to everything the city has to offer. 

"Gothenburg has a world-class cultural offering. As one of the city's most important links to the wider world, we see it as our mission to help inspire travellers to visit the city for its cultural experiences. Through our partnership with GöteborgsOperan, we are enhancing the overall experience and making it easier for more international visitors to discover the city," says Ulf Staaff, Travel Commercial Manager at Stena Line.

GöteborgsOperan was nominated for Opera House of the Year at the 2025 International Opera Awards. For the opera house, the partnership represents an opportunity to reach new audiences outside Sweden, not least in Denmark and Germany, while also strengthening its position as an international destination. With the premiere of the acclaimed musical Wicked in October, GöteborgsOperan sees considerable scope to attract a broader audience and, as part of the collaboration, is now reserving a number of tickets for Danish visitors.

"Our ambition is for GöteborgsOperan to be an obvious destination for anyone with an interest in culture, internationally as well as at home. Together with Stena Line, we can reach an audience beyond Sweden's borders and show that major, world-class performing-arts experiences are close at hand," says Ing-Marie Persmo, Head of Marketing and Sales at GöteborgsOperan.

The initiative is in line with Gothenburg's long-term strategy to strengthen the city's position as Sweden's cultural capital, in which partnerships between culture and business play a central role in attracting more international visitors. Göteborg & Co sees the partnership as a powerful driver of the city's continued development, where collaboration between culture and business is an essential prerequisite for achieving the goal of becoming the country's foremost cultural destination.

"When two strong players from business and culture work together in this way, it becomes easier for international visitors to choose Gothenburg. This is exactly the kind of initiative that strengthens the city's appeal year-round and contributes to our ambition of being Sweden's leading cultural destination," says Helena Lindqvist, Head of Marketing and Communications at Göteborg & Co.

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