"This paper explores the role of Swedish fika in gastronomy tourism and destination branding. Fika, a deeply rooted socio-cultural practice in Sweden, presents unique opportunities for destination marketing by incorporating its intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements. ICH represents immaterial values, expressions, and practices linked to traditions and legacy, crucial for creating meaning in tangible assets. This study examines how fika, the Swedish tradition of socialised breaks including coffee/tea and possibly pastries, with its rich cultural and symbolic value, is leveraged in digital marketing to strengthen destination branding efforts. The research focuses on how tourism organisations and companies utilise fika in their digital communication and how it is addressed in social media.

Previous literature highlights the superficial representation of culture in destination branding, often focusing on tangible elements like landmarks. However, fika's intangible nature requires careful ""packaging"" to avoid oversimplification and maintain its multifaceted cultural essence. As fika gains global recognition, incorporating its complexity into branding efforts is essential to represent Swedish culture authentically. The research questions addressed include: How is the ICH fika portrayed and used in destination branding? How can intangible elements of ICH be used in destination branding?

The paper problematises how intangible elements of culture are communicated on digital media in destination branding. We argue that these soft values, representing the unique and authentic elements of ICH, are particularly important in building strong destination brands. Empirically, we investigate ICH related to the destination Alingsås, actively branding itself as ""The Capital of Fika"" and organising “fika tours” attracting tourists from near and far."