Mobile and satellite data tackles overtourism in Sweden

Sweden is known for its vast forests and untouched wilderness. But growing tourism and increasing pressure on some of the most popular natural destinations have led to overcrowding. To ease the pressure on nature and inspire tourists to bring out the explorer within, the Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs, is now launching Unvisited Sweden – a guide to Sweden’s least visited places, identified through decades of mobile and satellite data.

For generations, outdoor life and exploration have been central to Swedish culture. Through Sweden’s unique Right of Public Access, protected by the constitution, people are free to move through nature and explore large parts of the country regardless of land ownership. Access to nature is not just a tradition, it is part of the national identity.

Despite this unique right, and being one of Europe’s least densely populated countries, Sweden has seen overcrowding in several of its most well-known natural areas during the summer months. In some locations, authorities have even been forced to restrict access in order to protect sensitive environments.

To help ease the pressure on overcrowded natural destinations, Unvisited Sweden is being launched as a guide to the country’s least visited places.

The areas included in the guide were identified by turning the logic of location data on its head. Data typically used to understand where people are was instead used to reveal where they are not. In a first-of-its-kind analysis, historical mobile network data from Telia, Sweden’s largest mobile operator, was combined with decades of satellite imagery to uncover the country’s least visited places.

“It’s fantastic that more people want to experience the Swedish outdoors. But when everyone gravitates to the same destinations, part of what makes nature so special can be lost. With this guide, we hope to ease the pressure on popular destinations by inspiring people to explore more of Sweden’s nature. We hope the idea that there are still places waiting to be discovered will ignite a true spirit of exploration says, Victor Adler, Chief Marketing Officer at Haglöfs.

The analysis resulted in 24 locations across Sweden, from deep forests to remote mountain landscapes, places that may not have been visited in modern times.

More information about Unvisited Sweden can be found at www.haglofs.com/en/unvisitedsweden