The Nordic countries have experienced a significant increase in tourism over the past two decades, bringing economic benefits such as job creation and regional development. However, this rapid growth has also posed challenges, including strains on infrastructure, public services, and the environment, as well as threats to local cultures and traditions. The report delves into the concept of socially sustainable tourism, examining how social aspects are discussed in academic literature, international indicator mechanisms, and national Nordic tourism policies.
The academic literature on sustainable tourism highlights the importance of community engagement, cultural integrity, and heritage preservation. It emphasises the need to balance tradition and innovation in tourism practices, addressing challenges such as over-tourism, community displacement, and ensuring equity and accessibility in tourism development. The literature also underscores the significance of stakeholder collaboration, partnerships, and effective governance frameworks, along with the need for robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
In reviewing international indicator mechanisms, the report finds that while economic and environmental impacts of tourism are well-documented and often quantifiable, the social dimensions, such as community well-being, cultural changes, and social cohesion, remain underexplored and less understood. This gap in research is problematic because the social impacts of tourism are profound and multifaceted. Tourism can influence local cultures, alter social structures, and affect the quality of life for residents. Issues such as housing affordability, the displacement of local populations, changes in community identity, and shifts in social values and norms are critical areas that require more focused research. Enhanced research on these aspects would help policymakers create more holistic and sustainable tourism strategies that promote not just economic and environmental sustainability but also the social well-being of local communities.
The national tourism policy review reveals that Nordic tourism policies increasingly address the social aspects of tourism, especially the impact on local populations, public services, and infrastructure. However, the operationalisation and conceptualisation of how social aspects of tourism are integrated into tourism development and planning is often lacking. The report highlights that while all Nordic countries aim for sustainable tourism development in their national tourism strategies, the degree of a holistic view on sustainable tourism development varies considerably. Some policies set broad goals, while others provide more detailed actions. There is a growing recognition of the importance of the social dimension in sustainable tourism development, but how to measure this systematically is not yet conceptualised in depth, and effective measurement resources are often lacking.