| 1. |
- Almstedt, Åsa, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Beyond Post-productivism : From Rural Policy Discource to Rural Diversity
- 2014
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In: European Countryside. - Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1803-8417. ; 6:4, s. 297-306
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There has been a strong discourse in public policy aimed at transforming rural places from venues of primary production into truly diverse socioeconomic landscapes. Yet conceptualisations of the rural as envisioned in the policy and politics of the ‘new economy’ often prove to be elusive on the ground. However, post-productive activity in rural areas has become a major focus for rural studies scholars. This paper investigates the ideas of post-productivism in the existing literature, and argues for a holistic understanding of post-productivism as an idea and political ambition rather than an imperative and irreversible change of rural economic activity. The purpose of the study is to make clear the division between post-productivism and the related concepts of post-production and post-productive activities in order to better understand processes of rural change in relation to different geographical contexts. It is argued that post-productivism as a concept stands apart from de facto post-production and alternative concepts such as multifunctionality and should be regarded as part of broader regional development discourses. The paper outlines several important fields in which post-productivism is a necessary component for rural transformation and development. While it is not always easily captured in indicators or empirical studies in rural locations, post- productivism exists at the level of discourse and planning and thus has real effects on the ground. The paper concludes by offering suggestions on how to apply the concepts of post-productivism, post-production and multifunctionality in future studies.
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| 2. |
- Zhang, Jundan Jasmine, et al.
(author)
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Selling greenness
- 2020
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In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 333-348
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent news reports and social media, there is a portrait of making 'green business' in rural areas in Sweden. Two myths are relevant here: the first one holds that rural areas are better places for making ecological or green business, and the second one that the rural needs to be saved and can be saved by such green business. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with nature-based tourism business owners in Västerbotten and Norrbotten (Sweden), this chapter problematizes the norms existing in the commercialization of natural environments for rural areas' economic development.
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| 3. |
- Bohn, Dorothee, 1984-
(author)
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Arctic geographies in the making : understanding political economy, institutional strategic selectivity, and agency in tourism pathway development
- 2024
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Tourism has long been promoted as a catalyst for socio-economic development in sparsely populated areas based on the commodification of culture and natural environments. This thesis examines the case of Arctic tourism in the two neighbouring northern counties of Finnish Lapland and Norrbotten (Sweden). Although characterised by similar resource endowments for tourism, these two regions have historically pursued divergent pathways, leading to different industry characteristics and spatial development outcomes. More recently, Lapland and Norrbotten have witnessed a remarkable increase in Arctic-themed tourism featuring soft nature-based winter activities and resort accommodation for export markets.To better understand the complex factors facilitating the emergence and consolidation of this pathway, a theoretical framework combining perspectives drawn from evolutionary economic geography, geographical political economy, and the strategic relational approach to structure and agency was selected. Through this theoretical lens, the thesis studies how wider politico-economic trajectories, institutional priorities and strategic selectivity, and entrepreneurial agency are intertwined in tourism path creation that takes place in path-dependent regional opportunity spaces. Empirically, the thesis rests upon a case study methodology that integrates expert interviews, document analysis, and spatial mapping of regional development funding for tourism projects and firms.The findings show that the geographical reimagination of Lapland and Norrbotten as Arctic tourism regions is part of wider socio-economic transformations. Export-oriented Arctic tourism is linked to a global political economy promoting economic growth and entrepreneurship, governed by multiscalar public-private networks, as the foundation of sustainable development and social wellbeing. For local places, the alignment with the Arctic represents an upscaling strategy to gain visibility and competitiveness within globalised politico-economic environments. At the regional level, public organisations mediate Arctic tourism pathways inter alia by granting funding and financing for firms and public-private development projects. The institutional strategic selectivity entailed therein privileges commonly established actors and business ideas over new ones, fostering pathway reproduction and the (unintended) continuation of uneven development structures. These opportunity spaces also conditioned the rise of Arctic-themed resort enclave as a distinct tourism product in Lapland and Norrbotten. Although these venues offer potential for new tourism development in previously underdeveloped locations as well as local business cooperation and spinoffs, there remain challenges, not least in relation to their limitations regarding year-round employment and a homogenous market focus implying a boom-and-bust vulnerability.To summarise, the findings of the four papers included in the thesis provide a nuanced picture of the processes that have shaped Arctic tourism in the two case study regions, raising attention to the limits and opportunities of export-oriented tourism for regional development and local communities in sparsely populated areas.
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| 4. |
- Bohn, Dorothee, et al.
(author)
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Public funding and destination evolution in sparsely populated Arctic regions
- 2023
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In: Tourism Geographies. - : Routledge. - 1461-6688 .- 1470-1340. ; 25:8, s. 1833-1855
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper examines the role of public funding in transforming tourism pathways in sparsely populated Arctic destinations, comparing Northern Sweden and Finnish Lapland. Our theoretical framework considers destination path plasticity and moments of change through the lens of geographical political economy to understand patterns of uneven development. This perspective helps explain how regional development funding driven by multi-scalar political priorities and global markets set structural conditions for tourism. We present a spatial analysis of public funding between 2007 and 2021 for private firms and public projects, complemented by document analysis and expert interviews. We find that public funding in Finnish Lapland has largely reinforced ‘Arctification’ and export-driven tourism in a few locations. In Northern Sweden, it has focused more on redistributing resources to micro-businesses and broader socio-economic development in lagging regions, yet with limited impacts on changing dominant tourism pathways. Public projects improved knowledge creation and networking among public and private actors but were largely unable to consolidate emerging pathways in the long run. Overall, regional development funding supported incremental change around existing pathways and had limited transformative effects in response to shocks or disruptive moments due to the rigid nature of funding programmes.
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| 5. |
- Fredman, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Economic values in the Swedish nature-based recreation sector : a synthesis
- 2012
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In: Tourism Economics. - London : IP Publishing. - 1354-8166 .- 2044-0375. ; 18:4, s. 903-910
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This research synthesis reports the main findings from a review of economic values associated with nature-based recreation in Sweden. The purpose of the work was to support policy and to identify areas for future research. Data came from over 150 scientific publications and other public sources. The authors find inter alia a lack of systematic data for several recreation activities (including naturebased tourism), a significant growth in the outdoor equipment industry and a relatively modest economic involvement by the public sector. The information is structured under different categories to illustrate the significance and range of different economic values. The authors conclude that there is a need for more comprehensive and systematically collected data, methodological development and interdisciplinary research.
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| 6. |
- Brouder, Patrick, et al.
(author)
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A (ski) trip into the future : climate change and winter tourism in Polar Sweden in 2040
- 2013
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In: New issues in Polar tourism. - Dordrecht : Springer. - 9789400758834 - 9789400758841 ; , s. 149-161
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent research shows that many polar tourism entrepreneurs are not ready to adapt to climate change even though some areas within the polar north are more exposed and adaptive capacities of entrepreneurs vary. Moreover, sensitivities of communities to climate change are dependent on the importance of current and future winter tourism in the locale relative to other industries, thus questioning whether communities should focus on winter-tourism development. Current trends reveal a promulgation of a four seasons' approach to tourism in Polar Sweden in order to reduce sensitivities. However, there is also further winter-tourism development potential since the north inland of Sweden is more secure than many other European winter sport destinations. An important question is as follows: how can regions in the polar north capitalize on their natural assets and develop winter tourism without risking a lock-in effect through increased regional sensitivity to climate change? This chapter maps the exposed area in Polar Sweden and generates basic climate impact scenarios for the future based on plausible alternatives due to climate change and tourism business and institutional development. The discussion utilizes the Arctic Tourism Innovation System (ATIS) framework, where the necessary roles and complementary relationships of institutions and entrepreneurs in creating sustainable paths for polar communities are highlighted.
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| 7. |
- Carson, Dean B., 1970-, et al.
(author)
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Resource deserts, village hierarchies and de-growth in sparsely populated areas : The case of Southern Lapland, Sweden
- 2022
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In: Fennia. - : Geographical Society of Finland. - 1798-5617. ; 200:2, s. 210-227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Small villages in northern Sweden have seen a continuing removal of key services, such as schools, shops and public transport, since the 1970s. Disinvestment in public services has not been strategically planned but has happened in response to population loss and increased costs on a case-by-case basis. More recently, there has been a shift in policy thinking to what might be termed a ‘de-growth’ approach where digitalisation and increased personal mobility are used to provide new ways of delivering services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existence of ‘resource deserts’ in Southern Lapland and the emergence (or consolidation) of village hierarchies in allocating public services. We map out the distribution of neighbourhood services (grocery stores, pre-/schools and petrol pumps) among villages, and explore the lived experiences in accessing these resources in different villages. Our results show that resource deserts clearly exist in the south and east of the region, while villages in the more sparsely populated western mountain areas were generally in a better position to retain resources. We identify a lack of consistent and transparent service planning at the village level as a key shortcoming in municipal and regional service strategies. There appear to be unofficial settlement hierarchies in the differential treatment of villages that are otherwise similar in population size, population change and distance to central places. We find that political decisions on service allocations are likely influenced by several factors. These include legacy effects relating to historic settlement status, the location of villages in relation to key transport or mobility corridors, as well as ideological factors favouring villages with more ‘exotic’ features and development potential in line with the municipalities’ economic, social and political priorities. We finally argue that a shift to de-growth needs to be more strategically planned if it is to eliminate resource deserts and promote equity of service access across all villages.
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| 8. |
- Demiroglu, Osman Cenk, et al.
(author)
-
The last resort? : Ski tourism and climate change in Arctic Sweden
- 2020
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In: Journal of Tourism Futures. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 2055-5911 .- 2055-592X. ; 6:1, s. 91-101
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the external and internal factors that support or challenge a possible transformation of Arctic Sweden into a major ski destination under a changing climate.Design/methodology/approach – The paper questions future availability of the physical and the human factors that foster ski tourism development in Arctic Sweden and suggests a comparative case study in relation to the already existing large resort-based ski destinations in Arctic Finland.Findings – Preliminary documentary analysis shows that the governmental and the industrial discourses over the past decade have acknowledged a competitive edge for Sweden and its northernmost regions in particular and may even propose a structural shift for ski tourism in the near future agenda. The visualisations based on natural snow projections presented in this paper confirm this comparative advantage but other technical and socioeconomic development factors are further discussed, in relation to Arctic Finland.Research limitations/implications – Future research agenda is suggested to cover, first, assessment of natural and technical snow reliability of existing and all potential ski areas in Sweden and within its competitive set extending to all the Nordics and the Alps, then, incorporation of adaptive capacities of the suppliers but especially the likely substitution tendencies of the consumers, and finally, evaluation of the overall situation in terms of the regional development needs.Social implications – It is apparent that land use conflicts will arise in case of large ski resort-based destination development in Arctic Sweden, especially around the environmentally protected areas, which are not only already important attractions for nature-based tourism but also traditional livelihoods for the Sami.Originality/value – This is the first paper to discuss a potential regional and structural shift of ski tourism in Sweden.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Lundmark, Linda, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Arctification and the paradox of overtourism in sparsely populated areas
- 2020
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In: Dipping in to the North. - Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 349-371
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 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?
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