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This report was originally published as: Jóhannesson, G.T., Welling, J., Müller, D.K., Lundmark, L., Nilsson, R.O., de la Barre, S., Granås, B., Kvidal-Røvik, T., Rantala, O., Tervo-Kankare,K., & Maher, P. (2022). Arctic tourism in times of change: Uncertain futures - from overtourism to re-starting tourism. Nordic Council of Ministers. DOI: 10.6027/temanord2022-516 This report presents the findings of the third and final workshop and field course hosted by the project Partnership for Sustainability: Arctic Tourism in Times of Change funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Co-operation Programme 2018–2021. The focus of the workshop was on overtourism and the impact of and response to COVID-19 by companies and stakeholders in Arctic tourism. This publication was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25309/delaBarre2022.pdf?sequence=3

In this chapter, the Arctic is put in relation to increasing tourism to the North caused not least by increasing geopolitical interests in combination with the focus climate change is putting on the area, here referred to as Arctification. The growth of tourism, and the dispersion or concentration of tourists, has led to new challenges characterized as overtourism that in an Arctic context materializes on a microscale, where small communities can experience relatively large numbers of tourists for a limited time period. The implications of this increase and changing flow require more in-depth or locally based research. This chapter ends by asking what effects there might be of anti-tourism social movements, xenophobia or climate change in the future?

This chapter (Chapter 5) offers an examination of Arctic tourism. Viewed through the lens of the “destination,” this chapter explores the various ways tourism has developed, and continues to develop, in the Arctic. Many Arctic actors assume that the publicity of a specific place or region will lead to increased numbers of tourists and investors. But this has not proven to be the case across the entire circumpolar region. Rather, an important success criterion for the tourism industry is to provide the right experience to the right visitor. For this to happen, the image of the Arctic alongside realities of small communities must be addressed.

ARCTISEN

Tourism has grown in many Arctic peripheries of northern Europe and North America in recent years, particularly among international markets interested in northern winter experiences and unique Arctic nature and culture-based assets. This recent growth has been facilitated by a combination of factors tied to globalization, climate change, and an increasing “Arctification” of northern tourism that has generated particular imaginations and representations of the North among consumers as well as industry and political stakeholders. In this context urban places have remained relatively neglected in both academic and policy discourses connected to Arctic tourism, with much of the research and public attention focusing on remote destinations and exotic attractions that typically dominate the popular promotional tourism imagery of the Arctic. This neglect is somewhat surprising considering that most tourism activity – along with its positive and negative socioeconomic impacts – seems to concentrate in and around the larger urban centers. This report is the second one developed as part of the project Partnership for Sustainability: Arctic Tourism in Times of Change (funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Co-operation Programme 2018–2020). The report brings together expertise and case studies from several Arctic and northern peripheries in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Canada to illustrate the diversity of urban Arctic tourism dimensions and to identify important implications for sustainable local and/or regional tourism development across the North. The case studies indicate that the dimensions of urban tourism in the Arctic are plentiful. As urban places in the Arctic are not primarily tourism resort towns, tourism happens in the context of other economic and societal activities. Hence, urban places in the Arctic serve a regional demand for urbanity and urban services within leisure and entertainment and they serve as destinations for domestic and international markets looking for more typical northern products such as winter experiences or northern lights. In this context, the Arctic dimensions of urban tourism in northern cities are not always self-evident and tourism has not always developed in relation to the northern culture of these places. Considering these insights, there is certainly not only one way forward for urban tourism in the Arctic. However, in a global competition for capital, companies, and people, urban places seem to be increasingly using tourism as a way to boost local economies and reimage their places in order to achieve individual, local, regional, and national development goals. In this context, the “Arctic” becomes a context to play with and an ingredient that on a global market is currently loaded with positive value.

ARCTISEN

This report was originally published as: Rantala, O., de la Barre, S., Granås,B., Jóhannesson, G.Þ., Müller, D.K., Saarinen, J., Tervo-Kankare, K., Maher, P.T., & Niskala, M. (2019). Arctic tourism in times of change: Seasonality. Nordic Council of Ministers. DOI: 10.6027/TN2019-528 The seasonal nature of tourism is increasingly receiving the attention of various actors: tourism destination planners and economic development strategists at all levels, tour operators and the diverse businesses that significantly depend on tourism, and the host communities who negotiate tourism’s potential to have both positive and negative impacts. The research report at hand identifies and discusses four main perspectives on the issues of seasonal tourism in the Arctic: local community perspectives; employment and workforce issues; the Arctification of northern tourism; and global environmental change. These themes form the key issues around which the challenges and opportunities related to seasonality of tourism can be placed and worked with. Based on the discussion, the report outlines recommendations related to developing a thriving and sustainable tourism sector in Arctic Europe. This publication was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23558/ArcticTourismInTimesofChange2019.pdf?sequence=3

Les Allemands propriétaires de résidences secondaires en Suède. Remarques sur la connection tourisme-migration Phénomène récent, le tourisme de "résidences secondaires" est devenu une mode qui reflète l'évolution des modes de vie dans les sociétés occidentales. Dans ce nouveau contexte on s'interroge sur le statut de ces propriétaires qui partagent leur temps entre les deux résidences : faut-il les considérer comme des touristes ou des migrants ? L'approche est ici centrée sur les propriétaires des résidences secondaires et leur perception de la situation. On constate qu'à leurs yeux la distinction entre tourisme et migration est très artificielle, souvent mise en rapport avec les pratiques administratives. Considérant les Allemands propriétaires de résidence secondaire dans les campagnes suédoises, on s'aperçoit que la plupart d'entre eux ne se soucient pas de la nature de leur statut même si certains sont de facto des émigrés et que d'autres ont planifié une installation complète lors de la retraite. Cela implique que leurs possibilités de participer à la vie de la communauté locale restent restreintes. Pour la municipalité d'accueil, de toutes manières, accueillir des touristes ou des nouveaux citoyens est différent au niveau économique. Aussi est-elle perdante lorsque les règles administratives nationales échouent à prendre en compte les changements d'une société de plus en plus mobile. Recently, second home tourism has become fashionable again due to changes in western societies. In this context it was debated to what extent second homeowners should be considered tourists or migrants. In this article focus is put on the second homeowners and their perception of the situation. It is argued that the distinction between tourism and migration is highly artificial and mainly related to administrative practices. Considering the German second homeowners in the Swedish countryside is shown that most of them are unaware of this issue although some of them are de facto immigrants or planning to retire in Sweden. That implies that they remain with restricted possibility to participate in the local community. For the host municipalities, however, it makes a difference whether they receive tourists or new citizens due to economic reasons and hence, they lose when national administrative practices fail to meet the characteristics of a highly mobile society. Los alemanes propietarios de residencias secundarias en Suecia. Observaciones en torno a las relaciones entre turismo y migración. De un tiempo a esta parte, el turismo de " residencias secundarias " se ha puesto de moda, siendo un reflejo de la evolución de los modos de vida en las sociedades occidentales. En este contexto, cabe preguntarse si estos propietarios que comparten su tiempo entre dos residencias deben ser considerados como turistas o como migrantes. El interés del artículo se centra en los propietarios de residencias secundarias y en la percepción que estos tienen de su propia situación. Hemos podido constatar que para ellos la distinción entre turismo y migración resulta bastante artificial, ya que a menudo la trazan en función de las prácticas administrativas. En cuanto a los alemanes propietarios de residencias secundarias rurales en Suecia, nos percatamos de que la mayoría no se preocupan en absoluto del carácter de su estatuto, aun cuando algunos son inmigrantes de hecho y otros tienen pensado instalarse definitivamente tras la jubilación. Esto implica que sus posibilidades de participar en la vida de la comunidad local se ven muy limitadas. No obstante, para el municipio de acogida no es lo mismo recibir a turistas o a nuevos ciudadanos desde el punto de vista económico. De hecho, dicho municipio puede resultar perjudicado en el caso de que la reglamentación administrativa nacional no logre dar cuenta de los cambios que se producen en una sociedad cada vez más móvil.

Between 1991 and 1996 the number of German second home owners in Sweden increased from about 1,500 to more than 5,500. The purpose of this thesis is to give a comprehensive description and analysis of the German cottage purchases in Sweden, 1991-96. In detail, the motives of the cottage buyers, the circumstances, the geographical patterns of cottage ownership, its diffusion, the integration of the cottage owners, and their expenses in the receiving areas are investigated. The analysis is based on two main sources; (a) an unique database UMCOBASE covering all second homes in Sweden; (b) a survey among 91 German second home owners. Second home ownership is considered as touriste product and as semi-permanent migration to the countryside. These perspectives have in common the importance of the role of the positive image of the countryside. Differences in property prices and climate may also attract second home owners to a specific area. It is argued that changes in the German society form a considerable driving force. Stress and life in the large metropolitan areas as well as the political situation after German reunification contribute not only to this interest for second home living, for the countryside, but also for Sweden, often seen as a shining example. Many German images of Sweden are based on popular writings and movies of the Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren. Sweden provides the German cottagers with the requested environments and the availability of housing, cheap property prices, and rather short distances make the interior parts of southern Sweden an ideal destination for the mixture of households with different individual motivations and preferences mainly from Hamburg and Berlin. The internationalization of the economy and the globalization of culture make it easier to purchase a second home abroad. In this case, the growth of German second home ownership in Sweden can be considered as a colonization of the Swedish countryside. The diffusion of cottage ownership is enhanced and directed by the innovators who due to their social networks attract new cottagers to the same area. A very important precondition for the increased German interest in Swedish cottages was the decline of the Swedish currency in 1992 allowing purchases at a cheaper price. The fact that the real estate agencies focused on the German market may be another reason for the increase, and also for the distribution of German cottage ownership within Sweden. The German second home patterns are also analyzed employing multiple regression analysis. It is shown that the distance between ferry harbors and second homes is a major restriction for the distribution of German cottage ownership in Sweden. Even future growth will take place in areas where German cottage owners are present today. The multi-functionality of the countryside caused competition regarding land-use and decision-making power between rural residents, tourists, and agents of other interests. Even if second home tourists and the permanent residents share a lot of interests, integration into the local community can be difficult. It is argued that the German cottagers are leisure gentrifiers consuming the countryside as a leisure resource only. Second home owners are faithful tourists who visit the second home area frequently and stay for a long time. This entails that they also spend a considerable amount of money in the host community. Hence, some jobs in the research area are more or less dependent on the expenditures of the German cottage owners. Despite being motivated, most German cottagers have problems integrating into the host community. The German cottagers seem to adapt to this situation by meeting with each other and by applying a conservative eco-strategy, thus converting their surroundings into their imaginary Swedish countryside. The post-war societies in the western world are characterized by rapid changes. The recent interest in second homes can be read as a rejection of modern life, because the cottage might be the continuous place in life. It is argued, however, that the second home is attractive because it blurs the strict separation of everyday life and tourism. digitalisering@umu