Sustainable Tourism Planning and Regional Development in Peripheries: A Nordic View

Abstract

A BSTRACT In a declining periphery, tourism is often considered as a vehicle for regional development due to the positive economic impacts of the industry. However, tourism is not automatically the best saviour for all peripheral areas, because it can also cause some negative impacts. Therefore, sustainable planning is needed to balance the benefits and costs of tourism. The aim of this review is to discuss how to develop the tourism industry in order to create positive regional development in the peripheral areas in the Nordic context. The paper presents two approaches to the tourism planning and regional development nexus: the tourism-centred and regional development-centred. However, the structure of the regional economy and the tourism resources of the area set limitations for the application of these basic approaches in practice. In this respect, the proposed spatio-functional model would be an option to increase the positive regional development at the local level in a sustainable way. The model emphasizes a functional collaboration between industries in the core-periphery framework.

Analysing governance in tourism value chains to reshape the tourist bubble in developing countries: the case of cultural tourism in Uganda

“…To optimise tourism impacts, tourism planning should be integrated in the overall development strategy, plans and contexts of a country or region (Bramwell & Lane, 2011;Kauppila et al, 2009;Timothy, 1998). Timothy (1998) points to four types of cooperation that need to be present to reach this integration in the planning system:…”

“…This means that, when making an overall assessment of the regional development impacts of tourism, stakeholder interactions and power relations do not automatically fuel tourism development in a way that naturally leads to regional and/or local development (Kauppila, Saarinen, & Leinonen, 2009). Therefore, stakeholder interactions and power relations in tourism need to be actively managed, dealing with the multi-scalar and multi-sectoral characteristics of the value chain, in order to expand tourism to regional development by maintaining viability of the tourism value chain, and by maximising pro-poor aspects of tourism (Boyd & Butler, 1996;Kaplinsky & Morris, 2000).…”

Natural amenities and the regional distribution of nature-based tourism supply in Sweden

“…Importance of tourism for regional development has been particularly visible in the context of the Nordic periphery, which has traditionally been viewed as an economically vulnerable region, characterized by out-migration, declining and aging population and other challenges (Hall & Boyd, 2005;Kauppila, Saarinen, & Leinonen, 2009). While economic and political significance of tourism is growing, the major challenge has been finding ways to integrate tourism development and regional development in the best possible manner, ranging from "tourism first" to "regional development first" (Saarinen, 2007;Kauppila et al, 2009).…”

“…While economic and political significance of tourism is growing, the major challenge has been finding ways to integrate tourism development and regional development in the best possible manner, ranging from "tourism first" to "regional development first" (Saarinen, 2007;Kauppila et al, 2009). Combination of these two approaches may result in the successful use of tourism for regional development, however, also depending on the potential of the region (Kauppila et al, 2009). In other words, it is important to keep in mind the resources, available at a given region, when discussing its potential for tourism and regional development.…”

Models and Approaches for Integrating Protected Areas with Their Surroundings: A Review of the Literature

“…Many of the efforts concentrated on the conservation of PAs: notably Biosphere reserve [8], identification of priority areas [9], Spatial indicators [10], UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) [11], multi-criteria decision-making [12], etc. ; while many other efforts were from the perspective of sustainable development, representative stakeholder approach [13], community-based management [14], Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) [15,16], adaptive governance [17], spatio-functional model [18], etc. Alternatively, while some models have proved useful in some cases, they have failed when applied to other cases [19].…”