Peter Fredman

On the distance to recreational forests in Sweden

Abstract There is a strong tradition in Sweden of using forested areas for recreation. Earlier research has shown that on average, Swedes visit a forest at least every other week. This study surveyed 1000 randomly chosen individuals about their present distance, and what they considered to be the preferred (ideal) distance, between their residence and the closest recreational forest. Attitudes towards an increase in the present distance are studied together with an economic measure using the contingent valuation method. We found that over 40% of the Swedish population would prefer a shorter distance to the forest, and argue that residential areas should be planned so that most individuals have the closest recreational forest within walking distance (

Effects of Climate Change on Alpine Skiing in Sweden

Climate change has already affected and will continue to affect physical and biological systems in many parts of the world. For example, annual snow cover extent in the northern hemisphere has decreased by about 10% since 1966, and in Sweden, the last decade was wetter and warmer than the preceding 30-year period. These changes will affect many aspects of utilisation patterns that are dependent on the physical environment, such as alpine winter tourism. In this paper, we discuss the future development of the downhill skiing industry in Sweden. We first review trends in alpine winter tourism in relation to climate change together with regional projections of climate change. Secondly, we examine trends in climate parameters relevant to alpine winter tourism in Sweden during the last 30 years. Thirdly, we take these parameters, together with regional projections of climate change, and predict effects on the number of skiing days in order to estimate the monetary loss for the skiing industry in Sweden. The analyses show predicted losses that are larger than current ski-ticket sales. Adaptation strategies such as the development of year-round tourist activities should be developed as soon as possible.

Determinants of visitor expenditures in mountain tourism.

In this study, determinants of expenditures are estimated for downhill skiers, backpackers, snowmobilers and general visitors to the Swedish mountain region. The study is based on a national sample of mountain visitors. It is shown that duration of stay, household income, choice of activity, occupation, participation in an organized trip and choice of accommodation have an effect on expenditures at the destination, while gender, mode of travel, distance and ‘significance of activity’ are additional determinants of expenditures outside the destination. The study will contribute to our understanding of the economic values associated with the future development of mountain tourism, including values beyond primary expenditures.

Frontiers in Nature‐Based Tourism

Taylor and Francis SJHT_A_502365. gm 10.1080/1 22 0.2010.502365 candinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 502-2250 (pri t)/15 2-2269 (online) Original Article 2 10 & Francis 0 00201 PeterFredman p .f @miun.se Nature has been a key attraction factor for tourism in the Nordic countries for decades. The demand for nature-based tourism has steadily grown and is the most rapidly expanding sector within tourism across Europe and elsewhere (Bell et al., 2008; UNWTO, 2009). This demand has created opportunities for nature-based tourism to develop as an economic diversification tool within regions rich in natural amenities such as northern Europe. In Finnish Lapland, for example, tourism is already the most important economic sector providing more job opportunities than the forest industry (Council of Lapland, 2008). Nature-based tourism is also a growing land-use activity and economic sector involving different types of entrepreneurs, many of which are relatively small, located in rural regions and may only work parttime in tourism combined with agriculture, forestry or other rural means of livelihood. Many of these businesses are also challenged by seasonality in tourism demand and conflicts with other natural resource uses. But nature-based tourism is not only about tourism businesses and tourists visiting nature. The natural environment as a basis for tourism involves many challenges related to communities and the management of natural resources. As such, landowners, management agencies, other resource users (e.g. forestry, agriculture, fisheries) and nature protection organizations also become an important part in the supply of nature-based tourism opportunities. In many cases, decisions on natural resource use feature public good considerations and are mostly beyond the control of the private tourism industry. In the Nordic countries the state is a key landowner besides local municipalities, which provide most of the protected or other nature areas with infrastructures for outdoor recreation and tourism provision. And such areas may function as attractions in the tourism system (Wall Reinius & Fredman, 2007). Figure 1 is a basic model of tourism used to illustrate the principles and operation of the nature-based tourism system. First, looking at the demand, nature tourists are visitors to nature areas, often as participants in various forms of activities

The Right of Public Access : Opportunity or Obstacle for Nature Tourism in Sweden?

Abstract Access to countryside areas – by means of personal ownership, designated areas or free access – is fundamental to outdoor recreation and nature tourism. This paper examines the role of the Right of Public Access for public participation in outdoor recreation and nature tourism supply in Sweden. This right can be seen both as a “free space” for recreation and a way of restricting land ownership. Our study shows that the Right of Public Access has strong support among the Swedish public in general and that designated areas for recreation are less important than public access for outdoor recreation participation. Among nature tourism entrepreneurs, the Right of Public Access is considered a success factor to a much higher extent than an obstacle. We identify a tension between the general public and nature tourism entrepreneurs with respect to traditional backcountry activities such as hiking, cross‐country skiing and nature studies. One important challenge for the future will be to balance the demand for outdoor recreation with nature tourism opportunities for local economic development, and the paper concludes with a set of topics suggested for further discussion concerning the Right of Public Access in a dynamic world.

Current Tourism Patterns in the Swedish Mountain Region

Abstract Tourism has been part of the mountain economy in Sweden for the past century. With the current decline of the extractive industries in this rural area, tourism is taking on new significance for many communities. This article gives an overview of tourism in the extensive Swedish mountain region, with a focus on types of recreational activities and their regionality. The data presented are based on a national sample of participation in mountain tourism. Findings show that 43% of the Swedish adult population (2.66 million individuals) visited the mountains at least once during a 5-year period (1995–1999). Winter activities—skiing and snowmobiling—were the dominant forms of mountain recreation. Tourism activity patterns differ distinctively across the 4 mountain counties: whereas winter tourism dominates in the southern parts of the region, the north receives visitors mostly in the summer. Only 5% of visitors to the Swedish mountains are from outside Scandinavia. In a single year, 9 times as many people visited the Swedish mountains as live there, but despite these numbers the population in the region is continually decreasing.

Tourism and protected areas: motives, actors and processes

Following the paradigm shift in nature conservation policy towards the inclusion of local inhabitants in the planning and management of protected areas, tourism is emphasised as a means to achieve economic development in peripheral areas. Governance issues and the real impacts from tourism on development are thus often under scrutiny. This article focuses on the role of tourism in the political process of designating protected areas. How does the inclusion of the tourism argument affect designation processes? What kind of tourism is being promoted and how can it be conceptualised with regard to human views of the use of nature? An ecostrategic framework is presented to illustrate the essential land-use choices available. Three cases of protected area designation processes are used to address the issue of tourism: the failure of the Kiruna National Park proposal and the successful implementation of the snowmobile regulation area in Funäsdalen and Fulufjället National Park. The analysis shows that while tourism may increase local acceptance of protected areas, the power of this argument also depends on contextual and process factors.

Visits to the Swedish Mountains: Constraints and Motivations

This paper examines the joint role of constraints (structural, intrapersonal, and interpersonal) and motivations (place attachment and activity commitment) to understand why people visit the Swedish mountains. A national survey of the Swedish population shows that income and distance act as constraints to mountain visits, but that place attachment plays a stronger role than constraints. We argue that motivation should be more explicitly taken into account in constraint studies. Participating friends, perceived self‐skill and activity commitment are important for downhill skiers but not so much for backpackers. Like several other constraint studies, we find that those who are most active in visiting other places and participating in other leisure activities are most likely to visit the mountains. Rather than acting as a constraint, participation in one leisure sector is associated with participation in another sector. We believe this reflects a sort of recreational career and should be considered in future research. We also discuss the results of this study with regard to the future development of tourism in the Swedish mountain region.

Wilderness purism, willingness to pay and management preferences: a study of Swedish mountain tourists.

This study combines visitor benefit estimates, by means of the contingent valuation method (CVM), with an application of a wilderness purism index to outdoor recreation management. Swedish summer visitors to a mountainous wilderness area in central Sweden and eastern Norway are surveyed using a mailed questionnaire. Welfare estimates are calculated, including adjustment for preference uncertainty in the willingness-to-pay answer. The expected value of the average visit to the area is estimated at 1,756 SEK, of which almost one-third is a consumer surplus. Three visitor segments are identified, based on preferences relating to wilderness management, restrictions, human impact and other users. Willingness to pay is found to differ significantly between the segments, both in absolute numbers for the trip taken and as a function of proposed management changes. It is shown that total benefits among the Swedish visitors can be increased in the magnitude of one million SEK, by means of a visitor segmentation and spatial differentiation of the management strategy.

Success factors and constraints among nature-based tourism entrepreneurs

The nature-based tourism sector is characterised by small-scale businesses often located in rural regions. As a consequence, business success is dependent not just upon the sustainable use of natural resources, but also on several external (e.g. infrastructure and destination images) and internal (e.g. management and human resources) factors. Many nature-based tourism entrepreneurs are also driven by non-monetary objectives, which imply different management priorities compared with many other businesses. This study provides an exploratory analysis of business success factors and constraints among nature-based tourism entrepreneurs in Sweden. Data collected in 2009 include ‘life-history’ interviews, a telephone survey of 176 entrepreneurs, and follow-up critical incident interviews. The results show that internal factors are more common for business success, while external factors dominate among the constraints. Among the 26 success items studied, management (commitment and competence), access to natural resources, and lifestyle are considered the most important. Low profitability, lack of capital, regulations, infrastructure, and taxes are given the highest weights among the constraints. The classification system of Ishikawa [(1990). Introduction to quality control (J.H. Loftus, Trans.). Tokyo: 3A Corporation] is used to analyse how business success and constraints are structured over time. This study also elaborates how success factors and constraints are associated with different types of businesses, including perceived monetary and non-monetary achievements.