Tourism creates jobs, activity, and income in many local communities. At the same time, increased tourism activity can create challenges for the communities themselves.
"My research shows that the issue is not only the number of tourists, but how tourism development is governed and to what extent local communities are included. A good place to live is also a good place to visit," says Lena Dalheim Wistveen.
In her thesis Wistveen examined how tourism affects residents’ quality of life in Lofoten, Geiranger, Øyer, Tinn, Venice (Italy), and Murupara (New Zealand). The study shows that tourism can simultaneously create value and generate challenges, but that greater attention is often given to the benefits tourism creates than to the tensions and conflicts that may grow alongside development.
"While some residents experience more jobs and improved services, others experience increasing conflict, lower trust in local government, more traffic, and less influence over local development", syas Wistveen.
One important finding is that the social dimension of sustainability often receives less attention than economic and environmental concerns in tourism development. Questions related to belonging, participation, and everyday life are frequently deprioritized in favour of continued growth.
"This marginalization of social sustainability begins at the national policy level and influences how regional and local authorities approach these issues," according to the research fellow.
Lena Dalheim Wistveen stresses that the goal is not less tourism, but a better balance between visitors, business development, and quality of life for local residents.
Dalheim Wistveen has completed her doctoral work at the PhD programme Innovation in Services in the Public and Private Sectors. Her thesis is titled "From Tourism Volume to Resident Value: Co-Creation to Achieve Social Sustainability in Rural Tourism Development".
The main findings of the doctoral thesis:
- Tourism simultaneously creates and destroys value depending on how development is governed, who benefits from it, and who is left with the consequences.
- Governance processes shape the outcomes of tourism development. Inclusive governance can strengthen collaboration and participation, while fragmented governance may lead to exclusion and negatively affect local communities and quality of life.
- Tourism can create jobs, activity, and local development, while at the same time generating pressure on local communities, increasing conflict, and reducing residents’ quality of life.
- How tourism is developed and governed locally is crucial for whether development is experienced as sustainable and inclusive for those living in the destination.
- The social dimension of sustainability, such as quality of life, belonging, and participation, often receives less attention than economic growth and visitor numbers in tourism development.
- Residents, businesses, and public authorities may have different interests and understandings of what sustainable tourism development means, creating challenges in planning and destination development.
- Trust, collaboration, and participation are important for creating tourism development that works both for visitors and for local communities.