The Swedish Ship Gotheborg

What The Swedish Ship Gotheborg does

The Swedish Ship Gotheborg (Ostindiefararen Götheborg) is a privately held visitor attraction and live maritime heritage experience operated from Gothenburg, Sweden, under parent company Greencarrier Group AB. It is the world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship: a full-scale replica of the 18th-century East Indiaman that sank in 1745, reconstructed between 1995 and 2003 using 4,000 m³ of oak and pinewood, 26 flax sails totaling 1,964 m², and approximately 650 wooden blocks with 20 tons of hand-made hemp rope. The vessel integrates modern safety and navigation systems (GPS, radar, satellite communication, Volvo Penta engines) into a historically faithful construction. The company operates the ship through subsidiaries Ostindiefararen Götheborg AB (ownership) and Rederi Götheborg AB (operating company), with King Carl XVI Gustaf as principal patron and Queen Silvia as godmother.

The business generates revenue through a diversified mix of one-time ticket sales (general admission 150 SEK; guided tours 250 SEK), recurring Friends membership subscriptions (160-5,000 SEK/year), corporate event venue hire, a café and retail shop, partner-driven expeditions (with EKN and Vinnova), and a paid deckhand program that placed nearly 500 participants aboard the 2022/2023 expedition across 14 European ports. Customer segments are primarily consumer tourists and families, with secondary segments in corporate event clients, maritime heritage enthusiasts, and school groups. Public operations run seasonally from April through October at Eriksberg Pier 4, supplemented by year-round private events and a planned public experience center at Masthuggskajen targeted for 2031 completion.

Distribution is concentrated at the single Gothenburg home port with online ticketing via Tickster, while periodic multi-port expeditions serve as short-duration demand spikes and brand-building events. The company has secured flagship strategic partnerships with the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN), the Swedish Innovation Agency (Vinnova), and Chalmers University of Technology for sustainable maritime research, positioning the vessel as a platform for Swedish trade promotion and cultural diplomacy alongside its core visitor attraction function.

Name

The Swedish Ship Gotheborg

Legal name

Svenska Ostindiska Companiet AB

Website

https://gotheborg.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Swedish Ship Gotheborg operates the world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, a full-scale 18th-century East Indiaman replica in Gothenburg, generating revenue from visitor admission, guided tours, corporate venue hire, and memberships under owner Greencarrier Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Heritage Tourism

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Sailing Cruises (Windjammers & Tall Ships) (THAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF), Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Maritime heritage tourism
• Visitor attraction
• Historic ship replica
• Guided ship tours
• Corporate event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Göteborg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Visitor Admission Tickets: Revenue from individual visitors purchasing admission tickets to explore the ship independently. Adults 150 SEK, Senior/Youth 75 SEK, Children 0-6 free. Season runs April through October.
2. Guided Tours: Revenue from professionally guided tours offering in-depth exploration of the ship with historical narratives. Adults 250 SEK, Senior/Youth 125 SEK.
3. Event Venue Hire: Revenue from corporate events, conferences, weddings, and private party bookings aboard the ship. Available year-round.
4. Café and Shop Sales: Revenue from on-site café serving fika (Swedish coffee break snacks) and ice cream, plus retail shop selling unique souvenirs and merchandise.
5. Friends Membership Program: Annual membership fees providing discounts, newsletter access, and priority booking. Individual 160 SEK/year, Family 290 SEK/year, Company 500-5000 SEK/year based on size.
6. Donations and Gifts: Voluntary donations from supporters to contribute to preservation and maintenance of the historic vessel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ostindiefararen Götheborg operates the world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship — a full-scale replica of the 18th-century East Indiaman — as a seasonal visitor attraction and event venue in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company sells admission tickets, guided tours in multiple languages, walking tours, on-site café and shop retail, venue hire for corporate and private events, gift cards, an annual Friends membership, and a volunteer program, supplemented by seasonal themed events such as Zumba, grill evenings, Christmas markets, and the After Sail Festival.

Product overview

Götheborg of Sweden is the world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, a full-scale replica of the 18th-century East Indiaman Götheborg. The company operates primarily as a visitor attraction and experiential venue, offering general ship admission, guided tours in multiple languages, and specialized experiences including the 'From The City to The Ship' walking tour. Supporting offerings include a café and shop, venue hire for private events, the Seapass joint ticket with Maritime Museum, and membership through the Friends of Götheborg association. Seasonal events include Zumba fitness sessions, grill evenings, and Christmas markets. The vessel also offers volunteer and sailing opportunities for those interested in traditional seamanship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ship Visits (General Admission)
• Guided Tours
• From The City to The Ship Walking Tour
• Seapass
• Event Venue Hire
• Gift Cards
• Friends of Götheborg Membership
• Café and Glass Bar
• Ship Shop
• Volunteer Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90,000 visitors during 2022/2023 expedition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Chalmers University of TechnologyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership between Greencarrier and Chalmers for sustainable maritime research. Professor Ida-Maja Hassellöv leads research on environmental impact of shipping. Three-year partnership supporting maritime environmental science. Chalmers serves as honorary partner to the ship in 2025. Shared heritage connection to Swedish East India Company.
• JowaminorOthersOfficial supplier of food/provisions to the ship.
• RightThingminorOthersOfficial supplier listed among ship suppliers.
• JJ SupplyminorOthersOfficial supplier listed among ship suppliers.
• EKN (Swedish Export Credit Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEKN is a Swedish government agency supporting export companies and internationalization. They participate in the Asia Expedition to create unique meeting places for Swedish export businesses and offer financing solutions. Key strategic partner for trade promotion mission.
• Vinnova (Swedish Innovation Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVinnova is Sweden's innovation agency focused on sustainable innovation. They participate to promote Swedish innovation and sustainable solutions through the expedition context.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Kruzenshtern: Russian four-masted barque tall ship operating as a sail training vessel with public visitation during port calls. Comparable in vessel type and visitor attraction function but geographically concentrated in Russian/Baltic ports rather than Western Europe.

Direct peers

• Viking Ship Museum (Roskilde): Danish maritime museum housing excavated Viking-era ships and offering active boat-building and sailing experiences. Comparable as a Scandinavian heritage vessel attraction that combines preserved/replica ships with experiential sailing programming.
• Cutty Sark (Royal Museums Greenwich): Preserved 19th-century British clipper ship in Greenwich operating as a visitor attraction with multimedia exhibits and event hire. Directly comparable as a tall-ship heritage venue with maritime collections, tours, and corporate/private event offerings.
• Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum): Sweden's premier maritime heritage museum in Stockholm, dedicated to a single 17th-century warship. Operates a similar model of a flagship preserved/historic vessel as a visitor attraction with high visitor volumes, museum-style interpretation, gift shop, and café, making it the most directly comparable peer in the Nordic market.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Largest maritime museum in the United States, operating a recreated 19th-century seafaring village with tall ships, demonstrations, and sailing programs. Highly comparable as a tall-ship-centered maritime heritage attraction combining static visitation with hands-on seamanship.
• Stad Amsterdam: Dutch clipper ship replica operating as a sail training vessel and floating ambassador for the Netherlands, with port visits and visitor tours. Comparable as a sailing tall-ship replica offering both expeditions and tourism/educational experiences.
• SS Great Britain: Bristol-based museum built around Brunel's preserved 19th-century iron steamship with visitor tours, dining, and events. Comparable single-vessel heritage attraction model with combined ticketing, F&B, and corporate venue hire.
• Maritiman: Gothenburg-based ship museum operating a fleet of historic vessels at Eriksberg/Neptun plaza, very close to Götheborg's home port. Directly competes for the same regional visitor base with overlapping maritime heritage positioning, café, and event offerings.

Emerging players

• Sørlandet: Norwegian full-rigged tall ship used primarily for sail training with public access during port visits. Comparable traditional tall ship combining seamanship training with maritime heritage tourism.
• Jubilee Sailing Trust (Tenacious): UK-based charity operating tall ships for inclusive sail training and public adventure voyages. Comparable as a heritage tall-ship operator monetizing crew experiences, day sails, and corporate/charter bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCisl2sPo5LbX021Jr273zKg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Swedish Ship Gotheborg