Läckö Castle Awarded the 2025 Sustainability Step of the Year Award:
The jury’s motivation
“On a headland at the far edge of the Vänern archipelago stands one of Sweden’s most iconic historic landmarks, Läckö Castle. With the castle as its main attraction, the Läckö Castle Foundation offers a unique and holistic visitor concept. Through strategic investments, local collaboration and a wide range of experiences, the foundation has become a driving force for development across the entire region. Läckö Castle is a role model for sustainable destination development in Sweden.”
The Läckö Castle Foundation has been awarded the 2025 Sustainability Step of the Year in the category of Tourism Company. The award was presented at West Sweden Tourist Board’s annual conference Bergakungen Cinema in Gothenburg on 13 November.
Each year, West Sweden Tourist Board awards the Sustainability Step of the Year to two recipients: one tourism-related business and one municipal initiative in West Sweden. The award was received in front of a full house at Bergakungen Cinema in Gothenburg, where CEO Jan Malmgren and Chairman of the Board Bertil Jonsson received the diploma and flowers to great applause.
— We are incredibly proud and very happy but also humble. This is something we have been working on for a long time, so it feels good to receive confirmation that we are on the right path, says CEO Jan Malmgren.
Long-Term Sustainability Work
Sustainability work at Läckö Castle has developed over several decades, with ecological, social and economic perspectives fully integrated into daily operations. The foundation, established in 1990, has focused on safeguarding and developing the local natural and cultural heritage. Collaboration with schools in Lidköping has been a particularly important initiative.
— Every year we invite all school classes in grades 2, 5 and 8 to visit us – around 1,600 pupils who spend a full day here experiencing the castle. We also employ young people during the summer in our various operations, and many of our skilled guides are qualified university students, says Jan Malmgren.
A Sustainable Destination
Läckö Castle is located on the island of Kållandsö, about 25 kilometres outside Lidköping. Since the 1990s, the foundation has developed visitor services on site, including a campsite, guest marina, parking areas, café, and hotel and restaurant. All with the aim of managing visitor flows while maintaining quality and protecting the listed cultural environment.
— Our ambition has been to create a sustainable experience over time, and I believe we have succeeded. All development has taken place with respect for the existing buildings and without putting strain on the listed heritage and cultural environment here, says Jan Malmgren.
High Visitor Ratings and Strong Local Engagement
There is no doubt that the foundation has succeeded in its mission. The Sustainability Step of the Year award is a great honour — but the most important recognition comes from visitors themselves.
— The last time I checked, we had a 96.5 per cent satisfaction rate on Tripadvisor. Our fantastic team receive a lot of praise there and in real life as well. For example, I often meet visitors who are enthusiastic about the guides after a guided tour, or about the warm and welcoming service they received in the café and restaurant, says Jan Malmgren.
Collaboration as a Key Factor for Success
When asked to identify the single most important factor behind Läckö Castle’s successful sustainability work, Jan Malmgren is clear: collaboration.
As a driving force for both the business and cultural sectors, the foundation collaborates with many partners, including West Sweden Tourist Board, Destination Läckö Kinnekulle, the Swedish National Property Board, and a wide range of non-profit organisations.
— The Tourist Board and Destination Läckö Kinnekulle are highly skilled in marketing and packaging experiences, and together with the National Property Board we have, for example, developed charging stations for electric vehicles on site. Through our founders — the Västra Götaland Region, the Municipality of Lidköping and Sparbanken Lidköping — we also receive assignments that allow us to collaborate with non-profit organisations, ranging from cultural practitioners and independent cinemas to cultural societies and choirs. Sustainability work is a team sport and never really ends — winning the Sustainability Step of the Year gives us even more energy to continue developing, says Jan Malmgren.