How Haglöfs is tackling overtourism with location data
Sweden – Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs has launched Unvisited Sweden, a guide to 24 of the country's least-visited natural locations, identified using historical mobile network data from Telia and decades of satellite imagery.
The initiative responds to overcrowding at some of Sweden's best-known outdoor destinations by encouraging travellers to explore lesser-known landscapes instead. ‘When everyone gravitates to the same destinations, part of what makes nature so special can be lost,’ says Victor Adler, chief marketing officer at Haglöfs.
This signals how behavioural, mobility and geospatial data can be repurposed to influence consumer movement, unlock underused assets and build more resilient, regenerative tourism models.
For more insights on how overtourism is shaping travel, destinations and visitor economies, head to our Anti-tourism Market report, which explores why citizens and governments are pushing back against hotspot travel and what it means for the future of the sector.
Strategic opportunity
Develop products and services that encourage travellers towards lesser-known destinations and nature-based experiences, easing tourism flows while creating commercial value and protecting overcrowded natural and urban environments
Foresight Friday: Ayesha Evans, marketing assistant
Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, marketing assistant Ayesha Evans shares three key learnings from attending Innovation at CSM: What Matters Next? Youth Culture and the Future of Brand Relevance.
Last week I attended a panel at Central Saint Martins to mark the opening of its 2026 end-of-year shows. As someone who sits within the Gen Z cohort, I appreciated the panel of educators, creatives and industry professionals challenging the assumption that Gen Z is inherently rebellious. Instead, speakers discussed how brands often overlook the value young creatives bring to the industry, approaching graduates as hires rather than collaborators and producers – which can mean missing the most valuable voices in the room.
: The brands that matter to young people are the ones willing to be genuinely changed by the generation they're trying to reach. Richie Manu, programme director of creative enterprise at Central Saint Martins, pointed to the growing rate of young people using TikTok as a search engine and highlighted how this cohort is best positioned to guide brands through a changing discovery landscape. Manu emphasised that young people are not passive consumers: they are producers and want genuine opportunities to bring in new ideas.
: Brands need to rethink entry-level roles to help young workers navigate the transition from education into employment. We recently reported that young people are feeling the strain: a YouGov survey of 16–25-year-olds found that more than seven in 10 wish they were not starting out their careers in the current economic climate. Panelists reflected on how organisations that provide internships increasingly expect prior experience, while AI is reshaping traditional power dynamics between junior and senior roles.
: Brands that treat communication as a living conversation, rather than a managed broadcast, are the ones young people will engage with. Miguel Esquide, chief design officer at Bata, emphasised the importance of the language brands use when communicating with young people. ‘If you want to see them as consumers, you need to understand them first,’ he said. Rather than simplifying, explaining or speaking down, brands need to create open, ongoing two-way dialogue.
For a worldwide look at the behaviours, mindsets and purchasing decisions of Gen Z in five continents read our Global Youth Atlas report.
Strategic opportunity
‘Engage young people in dialogue as much as possible and strip back the language, not to be simpler but to be conversational’
Ruby Wight, head of creative strategy, Nothing Technology
Stat: Why longevity is reshaping wealth planning
US – Longevity is becoming a core concern for wealthy Americans, according to Bank of America Private Bank’s 2026 Study of Wealthy Americans.
Surveying 1,431 US adults with at least £2.2m ($3m, €2.6m) in investable assets, the report found that 92% consider longevity important to financial planning, while 94% are taking steps to optimise their health.
This shift is changing how high-net-worth individuals manage legacy, succession and investment. Yet gaps remain: only 46% have a will, advance directive or a durable power of attorney. Among wealthy business owners, 23% inherited their companies, up from 11% in 2024 and 5% in 2022, but just 20% have a fully documented succession plan.
Younger investors are also redefining wealth creation. Some 88% expect to increase exposure to alternative assets, while 58% now own digital currencies.
Read New Codes of Luxury: The Longevity Effect, the latest report in our New Codes of Luxury series produced in partnership with The Together Group, which unpacks the emerging behaviours, market shifts and opportunities defining the next era of longevity.
Strategic opportunity
As longevity becomes a concern for the wealthy, brands should move to help affluent consumers protect time, vitality and legacy by designing services around succession planning, family continuity and long-term lifestyle support