Planning of second-home tourism and sustainability in various locations: Same but different?

Abstract

Several Norwegian Mountain and coastal municipalities have experienced comprehensive second home development in recent decades. From a sustainability perspective, it is necessary to understand both the importance of various geographical locations within a local context, as the location has an impact on available resources, amenities, and courses of action, and the complex interdependencies between the three sustainability pillars: economy, society, and environment. The purpose of the article is to provide knowledge on why and how various locations matter for planning sustainable second-home tourism. The analysis is based on document studies and interviews from three Norwegian destinations, supplemented with official statistics. The findings indicate that emphasis on, and development challenges associated with, the sustainability pillars differ across locations. They also indicate that local capacities to assess, plan, and implement adequate measures to address specific sustainable development challenges vary. Hence, there is a need for regional and local authorities to reflect on the driving forces behind the development of second-home tourism, as the impacts vary depending on what and who is driving the development. The authors conclude that it matters where second-home development is planned and what sustainability measures are adequate, applicable, and available. Nevertheless, all three pillars must be considered even if just one is enhanced