World Heritage, Tourism and Community Involvement: A Comparative Study of the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland)

Local communities in the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, exhibit predominantly positive attitudes toward tourism development but demonstrate limited understanding of the UNESCO World Heritage concept. While residents in the High Coast region are generally more supportive of increased tourism compared to their counterparts in Kvarken, Finnish authorities show a stronger inclination to leverage World Heritage status for economic benefits than Swedish authorities. The study, based on empirical attitude surveys and focus group interviews, reveals that World Heritage designation alone does not drive regional tourism development but rather fits into broader destination-building efforts. However, collaboration between communities and authorities remains limited and often conflict-laden, suggesting that improved cooperation could enhance the positive image of these sites while supporting sustainable tourism growth.

Svels, K. (2015). World Heritage, Tourism and Community Involvement: A Comparative Study of the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland). Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1-2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2015.1009708