The Internationalization of Rural Municipalities: Norwegian Second Home Owners in Northern Bohuslän, Sweden

Abstract

The internationalization of second home tourism has been mentioned as a major reason for the renewed interest in the issue of second homes after a period of scientific disregard. Still, few studies have addressed the international flows of second home owners. However, cultural differences as well as a recently limited relationship with the destination can imply that foreign second home owners have a more consumptive approach to the destination. This paper addresses particularly Norwegian second home owners in northern Bohuslän, a region in western Sweden, and aims at analyzing whether foreign second home owners present a challenge for sustaining rural communities. The analysis is based on the results of a mail survey and indicates that foreign second home owners are attracted by low price levels as well. This implies that macroeconomic changes can quickly erode this attraction, making international second home tourism a less reliable strategy for sustaining rural communities.