Uppsala becomes the first destination to launch IQ Tourism, a new travel concept designed around curiosity, learning, and personal development rather than traditional sightseeing.
Photo: IQ Tourist in Uppsala (Download)
A memorial stone for an event that never happened. A perfumery crafting scents like literary stories. A cinnamon bun rooted in scientific legacy. In Uppsala, travel shifts from checking boxes to connecting ideas.
Just 40 minutes from Stockholm, one of Europe’s oldest university cities, is repositioning itself as a destination where visitors are encouraged not just to see more - but to think more.
A new concept shaped by changing travel behavior
As trends like slow travel, coolcation, set-jetting, noctourism, and bleisure continue to reshape the industry, IQ Tourism reframes the city break - away from fast-paced itineraries toward meaning, context, and discovery.
“We consider it a movement, with travel increasingly centered on meaning, context and new facets rather than simply experiences to check off a list. Uppsala has all the prerequisites to be a destination for this type of traveler,” says Helena Bovin, Head of Marketing at Destination Uppsala.
The initiative forms part of an international campaign positioning Uppsala as a destination for travelers seeking ideas, perspective, and personal development.
A city built on ideas
Home to one of Europe’s oldest universities (founded in 1477), Uppsala has long been a hub for pioneering thinking and scientific discovery. From early breakthroughs like the Celsius temperature scale to centuries of academic exchange, that legacy now shapes a visitor experience where knowledge and culture intersect.
Experiences that reward curiosity
IQ Tourism brings together more than 60 curated experiences across the city, encouraging visitors to follow ideas rather than landmarks:
• Unlock book recommendations through coded clues at an independent bookstore
• Explore a historical event that may never have happened, yet left its mark
• Create fragrances crafted like literary narratives at an artisan perfumery
• Discover hidden worlds and overlooked details embedded in the city
• Join conversation-led coffee culture inspired by classic intellectual salons
Additional highlights include Gustavianum’s anatomical theatre and early Celsius instruments, alongside contemporary cultural spaces like the Cube of Art.
Looking beyond the obvious
A roaming red observation tower - relocated throughout the year - invites visitors to focus not on iconic landmarks, but on the details and stories most travelers miss.
More information and press images
• https://destinationuppsala.se/iq
• IQ Tourism proof list: https://share.mediaflow.com/sv/?4MNBHDO6QI
• Press photos and visuals: https://destinationuppsala.mediaflowportal.com/folder/1038508/
• Related travel inspiration on Uppsala: https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/middle-sweden/uppland/uppsala/
• Official Image Bank of Sweden: https://imagebank.sweden.se
Media contacts
Helena Bovin, Head of Marketing, Destination Uppsala
helena.bovin@uppsala.se
Ebba Ekelund, PR Netherlands, Visit Sweden
ebba.ekelund@visitsweden.com
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