Abstracts for Session 15

Overtourism: Challenges and possibilities in precarious times

Title: Overtourism in rural areas –consequences of pandemic staycationing

Author: Gustaf Onn

Affiliation: Södertörn university

In the wake of covid-19 many Swedes chose stay-cationing as a substitute for foreign travel, due to travel restrictions and risks related to the pandemic during summer 2020. In many ways, this relieved some of the economic pressures on parts of the otherwise hard hit tourism industry in Sweden, as e.g. the archipelago and many other rural areas have peak season during the summer, and the virus spread diminished during summer due to among other things more outdoor activities, making it less risky to choose outdoor attractions. This has, however, lead to some cases of rather unanticipated over-tourism, as in some cases, infrastructure such as road size is not calibrated for the level of demand, and e.g. a sunny day the road to Gålö was jammed, so that a trip usually taking 15 minutes by car took 3 ½ hours, and as a result of people exploring outdoors to a larger extent due to the pandemic, the carrying capacity of many nature reserves and some national parks has been reported to be threatened. As vaccination programmes are being executed there is reason to believe that some going back to normal may be expected, but there is reason not to discard the increased pressure on nature-based attractions as increased knowledge of domestic visitor attractions may be assumed to render increased demand. Under the adage ‘build back better’ I intend to investigate the degree of overtourism experienced in archipelago settings of Stockholm County, through interviews with residents and nature preservations oriented NGOs. 

Title: Moving masses: Increasing mobility as a means to tourism development

Authors: Donna Sundbo and Ane Dolward

Affiliation: University College Absalon

Before the corona epidemic, some urban destinations experienced overtourism or perceived negative impacts, which are likely to repeat if tourism reverses back to pre-epidemic levels (Goodwin 2017, Amore et al. 2020). Inversely, some rural areas aim for developing tourism (McAreavey & McDonagh 2011, Petrović et al. 2018). Some urban and rural destinations have attempted in collaboration to increase mobility (Sheller & Urry 2004, Cohen et al. 2014) and develop rural tourism by influencing urban tourists’ behavior and increasing interest in visiting rural destinations.

The aim of increasing mobility between urban and rural destinations is studied in this multiple-case study building on five European cases, which have been more or less successful in attracting tourists from a city to an adjacent rural area. Each case study consists of interviews with key tourism actors and desk research including strategies and initiatives. In three cases, they were also studied through on-site observations and participant observation. 

This study shows that mobility is a complex concept involving several elements, e.g. providing the right information influencing the tourists’ choice, and providing the right transportation. It consists of three aspects. First, accessibility which is the physical aspect concerned with transport and logistics. Secondly, assistance which is the cognitive aspect concerned with provision of information and technical assistance. Lastly, appeal is the emotional aspect concerned with the perceived attractivity of a destination and the concomitant willingness of urban visitors to travel to rural areas. All three aspects must be satisfied and mutually supportive in order to facilitate mobility. 

Title: Airbnb guests’ pro-environmental behaviour

Authors: Olga Gjerald and Jinghua Xie

Affiliation: University of Stavanger

Despite the significant amount of literature on tourists’ pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), there is no study to systematically investigate the PEB of Airbnb guests. Understanding Airbnb guests’ PEB is important to improve the host communities’ resilience and mitigate the negative impacts associated with Airbnb growth. This study examines the determinants to Airbnb guests’ PEB focusing on guests’ knowledge of and concern about the environment. A binary logit model was applied using the survey data collected from Norwegian university students. The results support the hypothesis that Airbnb guests’ environmental knowledge and concern are important in influencing their PEB. The study further tested if Airbnb guests behave differently when they are in or close to their home and when they travel. The findings show that respondents’ behaviour does not seem to differ significantly. The study results enhance understanding of the Airbnb’s impact on host communities and highlight the need to design PEB strategies specifically targeting Airbnb guests for successful destination governance and improved community resilience.