Sharing places: the role of second-home tourism in Nordic coastal communities

Traditions around second homes are well established in northern<br/>Europe, although there are variations between and within<br/>countries in terms of development patterns and the use of this<br/>type of housing. Focusing on coastal communities in Northern<br/>Norway and the Faroes, this study explored how year-round<br/>residents and second homers sharing the same location coalesce<br/>and form “open communities” that can tackle challenges such as<br/>depopulation and remoteness. We found that second-home<br/>tourism presents opportunities for small communities that are in<br/>accordance with the concept of “small tourism”. However, each<br/>local community has its own specificities that need to be taken<br/>into consideration when addressing and planning the<br/>development of second homes and community-based tourism.<br/>Depending on the different settlement patterns of second homes<br/>in Nordic coastal communities, second homers take part in<br/>“sharing places” in “open communities” in different ways.