Mid Sweden University

This paper explores the emergence of Stakeholder Theory and Blind Spot Theory over time from two distinct points of views in rural tourism development. After World War II, community development in most rural European areas have been challenged by negative demographic situations caused by centripetal economic development. In order to stabilize vital economic development, new or well-established initiatives have adopted different rural tourism development projects. Most of these projects include local stakeholders from both the private and public sectors. Using a longitudinal multiple case study analysis combined with a comparative method, this study reveals two points of views (stakeholder theory and blind spot theory). Three cases have been chosen in sparsely populated areas in Mid Sweden. This longitudinal study describes outcomes, measured by an estimation of their degree of development success or failures regarding their demographic situation over a span of thirty years. Implications are discussed concerning the rural tourism development process with recommendations of a best practice approach.

Just as globally, tourism is a fast growing phenomenon in the Baltic Sea region. Especially for the new EU member countries tourism appears to be one of the most important instruments for economic development. This has led to increased competition among destinations around the Baltic Sea. The reports shows that cruise tourism is one of the areas in which obvious advantage and synergies could be gained through co-operation. The Baltic Sea countries are visited by about 10 % of the world´s cruise tourists and there is a tendency that even more cruise tourists will choose the Baltic Sea because of safety and security reasons as well as new interesting destinations. The survey and analysis suggest a number of specific opportunities for co-operation, which can contribute to a better utilisation of the potential for cruise tourism and thereby positively influende the economic development in the Baltic Sea region.

Within the European Union, the tourism issues facing many peripheral areas are similar to those elsewhere in the world. Beginning in the late 1980s, the emphasis of thinking in the Union moved away from large automatic grants to attract inward investment projects, towards small firms and indigenous development. As party of this thinking, tourism SMEs have been assigned an important role in the process of regional convergence. While investment subsidies remain a key instrument, they have been supplemented by technical support to tailor assistance to the need of the individual firm. The latter aspect is an important plank in Swedisdg regional policy, which sees investing in human competencies as the core innovative development at the local level. This paper examines the process and the outcomes of a four-year programme to upgrade the level of business skills in eight tourism SMEs, which are located in the sparesly populated regions of northern Sweden.

Key note speech vid Bothnian Arc Seminar, september 2003, Torneå, Finland

This research exmines the meaning and impacts of "extreme" seasonality of tourist demand on family businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry, and how owners strategically adapt. Data were obtained from a self-completion questionnaire and interviews with family business owners on the Danish Island of Bornholm. Revealed straegies were categorized as "coping" with or "compating" seasonality, and in some cases the possibility of terminating the business or "capitulating". Most responses to extreme seasonality have profound implications for family life as well as business growth or viability. Implications are drawn for family businesses and destinations.

Rapporten analyserar turism i den ryska republiken karelen.

Kapitler ingår i en bok - New Directions in Rural Tourism (ed Derek Hall, Agricultural University College, Ayr, Scotland Clevedon: Channel View Publications 2003 - som handlar om rural turism. Kapitlet är skrivet tillsammans med Anders Sørensen och är antologins teoretiska ansats.

Paper presenterat i Stavanger, Norge, vid det 12:e Nordiska Turismforskarsymposiet, Oktober 2003 Handlar om hur en turistdestination kan utvecklas i skuggan av en megaattraktion