Tourism in Norrbotten, Sweden a Better Understanding of Tourism and Its Future – from the Organizations Perspective

Tourism in Norrbotten, Sweden A better understanding of tourism and its future – from the organizations perspective

Karin Sandlund Rebecca Öhman

Business Administration, bachelor's level 2020

Luleå University of Technology Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis was the last assignment before we graduated from International business administration at Luleå University of Technology. The research was conducted during the spring term of 2020 with the aim of finding more research about tourism in Norrbotten, Sweden. Writing the bachelor thesis has been challenging, but for the most part educational and rewarding. By writing this, we gain more knowledge and a better understanding about the tourism industry and what makes Norrbotten an attractive destination.

Overall, we would like to thank our supervisor Seyedeh Fatemeh Mostafavi Shirazi and the opponent groups who has given us helpful ideas throughout the process. We would like to say a special thanks to Swedish Lapland and Pine Bay Lodge for participating in this study.

We are satisfied with the outcome of this thesis and proud to have completed the bachelor thesis together!

Luleå, Sweden June, 2020

______Karin Sandlund Rebecca Öhman

ABSTRACT The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the growth of tourism in the northernmost county of Sweden, Norrbotten, has been evident in recent years. With this rapid growth within tourism in Norrbotten, a reflection arises of why tourism is increasing to this extent. Therefore, this study’s purpose was to get a better understanding of what the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten and how tourism can flourish and grow while keeping the place unique and exclusive. In order to fulfill this purpose, two research questions were stated as follows: “What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive?” and “How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding?”.

To answer these questions, a frame of reference was established based on the previous literature within the subject. The study conducted a qualitative approach which allowed the authors to collect data through semi-structured interviews. The two interviews were conducted with two organizations located in Norrbotten County. Swedish Lapland and Pine Bay Lodge. By interviewing one person from each company, the authors received relevant information that gave a better understanding regarding the study. Thereafter, a comparison between frame of reference and the collected data could be done. The results suggested that it is of utmost importance to have a strategy regarding overcrowding. Furthermore, it could be stated that the nature and natural assets Norrbotten possess, is a key for success. Nevertheless, the importance of providing the tourist with excellent hospitality cannot be forgotten, as this creates an even higher feeling of exclusiveness.

Keywords: Tourism industry, overcrowding, and arctic region.

SAMMANFATTNING Turism industrin är en av de snabbast växande industrierna i världen och tillväxten av turism i Sveriges nordligaste län, Norrbotten, har varit tydlig under de senaste åren. Detta skapar en nyfikenhet kring varför turismen i just Norrbotten har ökat i denna utsträckning. Därför var syftet med denna studie att få en djupare förståelse för vad kärnan inom turismen i Norrbotten är, samt hur turismen kan blomstra och växa samtidigt som platsen fortsätter vara unik och exklusiv. För att kunna besvara detta syfte tillämpades två forskningsfrågor; “Vilka faktorer gör turismen i Norrbotten exklusiv? samt “Hur kan turismen i Norrbotten växa och samtidigt förbli exklusiv utan att riskera att bli överbefolkat?”

För att kunna besvara dessa frågor framtogs en referensram som är baserad på tidigare vetenskaplig litteratur inom ämnet. Denna studie var av kvalitativ sort vilket bidrog till att författarna kunde samla in data genom semistrukturerade intervjuer av två företag. Intervjuerna hölls med en organisation och ett företag som är belägna i Norrbotten, nämligen Swedish Lapland och Brändökonferens & Fritidsby. Genom att intervjua dessa två företag kunde författarna samla in relevant information som var till stor hjälp för studien. Den insamlande data från intervjuerna jämfördes med teorierna i referensramen. Detta utgjorde grunden för resultatet och de slutsatser som kunde dras. Jämförelsen visade att det är ytterst viktigt att ha en strategisk plan för hur man ska hantera att platser kan bli överbefolkade i framtiden. En annan slutsats som också kunde dras var att naturen och de naturtillgångar som Norrbotten innehar är en viktig och avgörande faktor för turismen. Slutligen är det avgörande att förstå hur viktigt det är att erbjuda ett värdskap utöver det vanliga, eftersom detta skapar en ännu starkare känsla av exklusivitet.

Nyckelord: turism industrin, överbefolkat och arktisk region.

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ...... 1 1.2 PROBLEM DISCUSSION ...... 3 1.3 OVERALL PURPOSE ...... 4 1.4 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS ...... 5 1.5 DELIMITATIONS ...... 5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 6 2.1 CATEGORIES OF TOURISM ...... 6 2.1.1 Luxury Tourism ...... 6 2.1.2 Transformative Tourism ...... 7 2.1.3 Experience Tourism ...... 8 2.1.4 Nature-based Tourism ...... 9 2.2 TOURISM IN REMOTE AREAS ...... 10 2.2.1 Tourism Destination Image (TDI) ...... 11 2.2.2 Overcrowding ...... 12 2.3 FRAME OF REFERENCE ...... 13 2.3.1 Frame of Reference for Question One ...... 13 2.3.2 Frame of Reference for Question Two ...... 14 3. METHODOLOGY ...... 16 3.1 RESEARCH PURPOSE ...... 16 3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH ...... 16 3.3 RESEARCH STRATEGY ...... 17 3.4 DATA COLLECTION ...... 18 3.4.1 Literature Search ...... 19 3.5 SAMPLE SELECTION ...... 19 3.6 DATA ANALYSIS ...... 20 3.7 QUALITY STANDARDS ...... 21 3.7.1 Reliability ...... 21 3.7.2 Validity ...... 22 4. EMPIRICAL DATA ...... 23 4.1 RQ1: WHAT FEATURES MAKE TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN EXCLUSIVE? ...... 23 4.1.1 Case 1 – Swedish Lapland ...... 23 4.1.2 Case 2 – Pine Bay Lodge ...... 24 4.2 RQ2: HOW CAN TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN GROW WITHOUT RISKING OVERCROWDING? ...... 25 4.2.1 Case 1 – Swedish Lapland ...... 25 4.2.2 Case 2 – Pine Bay Lodge ...... 27 5. DATA ANALYSIS ...... 28 5.1 RQ1: WHAT FEATURES MAKE TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN EXCLUSIVE? ...... 28 5.2 RQ2: HOW CAN TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN GROW WITHOUT RISKING OVERCROWDING? ...... 31

6. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION ...... 33 6.1 RQ1: WHAT FEATURES MAKE TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN EXCLUSIVE? ...... 33 6.2 RQ2: HOW CAN TOURISM IN NORRBOTTEN GROW WITHOUT RISKING OVERCROWDING? ...... 34 6.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY ...... 35 6.4 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT AND TOURISTS ...... 36 6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ...... 37 6.6 LIMITATIONS ...... 37 7. REFERENCES ...... 38

APPENDIX APPENDIX 1 – INTERVIEW GUIDE IN ENGLISH APPENDIX 2 – INTERVIEW GUIDE IN SWEDISH

LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: RESEARCH PURPOSE AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...... 13 TABLE 2: FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR RESEARCH QUESTION 1 ...... 14 TABLE 3: FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR RESEARCH QUESTION 2 ...... 15 TABLE 4: A PRESENTATION OF THE CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS...... 20 TABLE 5: CASE ANALYSIS OF THEORY CONNECTED TO RESEARCH QUESTION 1 ...... 30 TABLE 6: CASE ANALYSIS OF THEORY CONNECTED TO RESEARCH QUESTION 2 ...... 32

1. INTRODUCTION In this chapter, we will provide the reader with a brief introduction to our thesis. At first the reader will be presented with a background, this in order to get a brief understanding of the chosen topic. The background leads the reader into the problem discussion and furthermore to the overall purpose. Finally, we will present an overview of the rest of the thesis.

1.1 Background Tourism is one of the most thriving and fastest growing industries in the world. Every year the growth in this industry is 3.5% which is more than 1% higher than the world economic growth itself (Binter, Ferjan & Neves, 2016; Paci & Marrocu, 2014). Binter et al. (2016) talks about how a strong and competitive tourism depends on how well a destination is marketed. Therefore, the importance of marketing a country, a region, or a city has grown substantially during the last decade. To reach out to the desired customer, i.e. tourists, marketing can be used as a management tool. This to make sure the tourism growth is developing in the right way and that the growth is sustainable (ibid.).

In order to reach out to the desired customer, it is important for tourism destinations to understand that creating a memorable experience for the tourist should be the primary goal (Shankar, 2019). The image of a place will influence the consumer's behavior (Elliot, Papadopoulos & Kim, 2011). Furthermore, marketing of destinations has always been crucial to achieve a competitive tourism destination (Cox & Wray, 2011) and according to Binter et al. (2016), tourism destinations can be perceived as a competitive product. This is due to the fact that many destinations have substitutes, which means that each place can easily be exchanged for another that offers the same attribute (Xie & Lee, 2013). Therefore, destinations need to focus and highlight the intangible factors a place has to offer as these factors are something that is not easily substituted (ibid.).

Additionally, it is important to understand that tourism can be divided into different categories (Adriana, 2019). In an article by Bakker (2005), the fastest-growing travel industry is luxury tourism. The word luxury and luxury tourism does not have a universal definition, instead it is individual and in the eyes of the beholder (ibid.). What is considered luxury to a person depends on various physical factors as well as perceptions and personal evaluations connected to a person's attributes (Popescu & Olteanu, 2014). At the same time, Bakker (2005) points out that luxury tourism has taken a different turn and a renewed interest in luxury has occurred.

Another category within tourism is transformative tourism. This kind of tourism aims to change the worldview for the traveler (Soulard, McGehee & Stern, 2019). In an article by Reisinger (2013, quoted in Soulard et al., 2019) transformative tourism is described as “experiences [that] allow the development of awareness of one's own existence and connection with self and others” (p.92). Lean (2012) states that travelling and personal transformation goes hand in hand. Furthermore, physical travel can be the influence a traveler experience as well as how the place itself has been effected (ibid.). Transformative tourism is based on extraordinary events for the customers that enables transformative experiences in a life-changing way (Soulard et al., 2019). In the end, travelling is about getting the desired experience (Soulard et al., 2019) and making dreams come true (Bakker, 2005).

A growing category within tourism is nature-based tourism. The basis of this kind of tourism is the environment and the natural resources available (Fredman & Tyrväinen, 2010). Examples of nature-based activities are hiking in the mountains, fishing, viewing the northern lights or the midnight sun (Fredman & Tyrväinen, 2010; Schilar & Keskitalo, 2018). In the northern part of Sweden, it is common for people to be lifestyle entrepreneurs. It means people make a business of their lifestyle that is based on the nearby nature (Schilar & Keskitalo, 2018). Schilar & Keskitalo (2018) mean that to combine their business with interest regarding outdoor activities is a key factor to a successful tourism entrepreneurship. Further, they describe that nature-based tourism activities “...could be seen as a form of lived place attachment” (p.543).

In the tourism industry today, the value creation is within the experience (Lindberg, Hansen & Eide, 2014). Experience-based tourism does not have an objective definition (Jensen & Prebensen, 2015) but is characterized as “offerings with a relatively high degree of differentiation and intangible value perceived by the customers at a certain place and in a certain time” (p.1). In general, people tend to participate in transformative experiences as a way to experience something extraordinary in the everyday life (Lindberg et al., 2014). This will mean that consumers return to the everyday life as renewed individuals (ibid.), similar to a transformative tourism experience. Like nature-based tourism, the experience-based tourism industry has a strong grade of identification between the business and the owner (Hoarau- Heemstra & Eide, 2019).

The different categories of tourism can all be connected to a specific county in Sweden, namely Norrbotten. According the Swedish Agency for Economic Growth and Regional Growth (2020), the county that increased the most in Sweden during 2019 was Norrbotten. Sweden as

a country had an increase in tourism with 7.4% while Norrbotten had a 24.7 % rise from the previous year (ibid.). This indicates a rapid growth of tourism in the northern part of Sweden. The number of nights spent by foreigners in Norrbotten has increased during 2019 with 19.7%, while the average in Sweden was 2.4% (Affärer i Norr, 2020).

Jacobsen, Iversen & Hem (2019) state the importance for destinations to not get over-crowded as the tourism industry increases. This is an important factor for the destination to be aware of since a unique experience can depend on the number of visitors (ibid.). According to Rasoolimanesh, Jaafar, Marzuki & Abdullah (2017) crowding is a significant factor that decides if a destination is worth visiting or if it is recommended to someone. Customers want the experience to be personal, experiential and authentic (Bakker, 2005). What a person perceives as overcrowding is individual and therefore it can differ from person to person (Santana- Jiménez & Hernández, 2011). What also influences if a place is considered as overcrowded is the place itself. People who travel to a place as New York city are aware of the large number of people they will share the experience with. Therefore, the tolerance towards crowding is bigger in these places, while it can create problems in other destinations. Therefore, it is something the tourism organizations should be aware of (ibid.).

1.2 Problem Discussion All of the categories mentioned above have one thing in common, they can be considered exclusive. According to Cambridge dictionary (2020), exclusive is something that is limited to only one person or group of people at a given time. What determines the core in exclusivity regarding the tourism in Norrbotten is unidentified in many ways. As previous research states, tourism is about giving the traveler a unique experience (Bakker, 2005) that can lead to personal development (Soulard et al., 2019). By shaping an experience to suit the traveler’s preferences and wishes, the tourist can experience exclusiveness. Since exclusiveness can be seen as one of the main pillars in the tourism categories, especially in Norrbotten, it is important to know what the core of exclusiveness is for that specific destination.

Another aspect to take into consideration when it comes to tourism is the accessibility of alternatives (Xie & Lee, 2013). As mentioned earlier, in today’s society tourism can be about exclusiveness or to experience something new. However, tourists want customized experiences (Bakker, 2005), which will prevent others from sharing that experience at the given time. Hence, people have a desire to be the only one to experience a destination or specific place (Jacobsen et al., 2019). According to Jacobsen et al. (2019) research shows that if a destination

gets overcrowded, visitors satisfaction, loyalty and attitude decreases. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of the turning point when too much tourism instead creates a negative attitude towards the destination (ibid.). According to Santana-Jiménez & Hernández (2011), people who choose to travel to nature-based destinations are more sensitive towards overcrowding. In other words, it is the tourist’s perception of overcrowding as well as what kind of tourism the place offers that decides what is considered to be overcrowded (ibid.). Therefore, the question on how to keep tourism exclusive and appealing arises. This thesis aims to contribute with more research within this area in order to help the tourism industry towards future growth.

1.3 Overall Purpose Based on the problem discussion above, the authors have come to the conclusion that the purpose of this thesis is to get a better understanding of what the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten. Furthermore, research will be conducted to determine how tourism can flourish and grow while keeping the place unique and exclusive. In order to accomplish this purpose, these research questions are presented:

RQ1: What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive? RQ2: How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding?

1.4 Outline of the Thesis This section will provide the reader with an overview of the thesis. A short description of each chapter will be presented.

o Chapter 1: Introduction. The first chapter will introduce the reader to the chosen topic and later on result in the research questions.

o Chapter 2: Literature review. In this chapter, an overview of the literature will be presented. Theories will be connected to the chosen research questions.

o Chapter 3: Methodology. Here, a presentation of how the data was chosen and collected for this thesis will be given.

o Chapter 4: Empirical data. In the fourth chapter, the collected empirical data related to the topic will be presented.

o Chapter 5: Data analysis. The data from the previous chapter will be analyzed.

o Chapter 6: Findings and conclusions. The final chapter will present the thesis most important findings and conclusions.

1.5 Delimitations This thesis will have a few delimitations due to the length of the thesis and due to the limited time that the authors have available to collect data for the research. The study will be from the tourism organizations perspective. Further on, the study will be delimited to the northern part of Sweden, more particularly Norrbotten.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, the main concepts connected to the research questions are presented. Firstly, the different tourism categories will be introduced and presented more in-depth. This is followed by a deeper presentation of the chosen area, Norrbotten, where different areas are researched. The chapter will end with a frame of reference where the most important theories will be highlighted.

2.1 Categories of Tourism Tourism is one of the biggest economic industries in the world (Adriana, 2019), and at the same time the fastest growing industry (Paci & Marrocu, 2014). The growth within this industry each year is 3.5%, which is more than 1% higher than the world economic growth itself (ibid.). At the same time, different categories within tourism have developed (Adriana, 2019). This is a result of the fact that people are desiring constant change and want to experience new things (ibid.).

Due to the world being global, people are travelling across borders. As a result of this, people desire different experiences (Adriana, 2019). In order to fulfill the tourists desire, different tailor-made getaways can be the solution to provide and please the tourist’s needs (Bakker, 2005). This further creates different types of tourism. The different categories brought up in this thesis is the following; luxury-, transformative-, experience- and nature-based tourism. As mentioned earlier, these categories of tourism can be found in Norrbotten, Sweden.

2.1.1 Luxury Tourism According to Liu, Wu and Li (2019) the psychological benefits are what separates luxury and non-luxury from each other. When it comes to luxury travels the difference between luxury and non-luxury is not as easy to identify. In most cases, luxury travels tend to be more exclusive and expensive. Generally, the consumption of luxury travel and services is a way of displaying status and wealth (ibid.). However, luxury tourism has become more diverse over time (Bakker, 2005). Today, what identifies as luxury tourism is individual for each person. It can be about emotions rather than a specific product. The customer wants an experience that is customized to that person's preferences (ibid.).

Moreover, Popescu and Olteanu (2014) describes luxury tourism as, “Luxury tourism represents a special category of the tourism industry, both with regard to the supply, and especially to the demand” (p.320). For tourism destinations, there is a permanent concern to satisfy the desires tourists have. However, over the last few years luxury tourism has become more blurred and the destinations more diverse. This due to the fact that tourists' preferences regarding travelling and what to experience have changed. Today destinations that offer luxury tourism need to focus on more than just the material products, and instead focus on components and concepts that will give the tourist the desired outcome (ibid.). Luxury tourism can be five- star resorts, but also tailor-made getaways as travelers are willing to pay more in order to get an experience that is catered for their needs (Bakker, 2005).

As Bakker (2005) mentions, people are more willing to travel to tailor-made getaways, even though it might be pricey. This is due to the fact that the consumer will get what they really need and desire. From that perspective, luxury tourism does not automatically mean a five-star resort. Today’s luxury travels can be a specific experience and tailor-made getaways (Bakker, 2005).

Furthermore, it is important to understand that what is perceived as luxury or non-luxury is based on the tourist’s judgement (Correia, Kozak & Del Chiappa, 2020). In other words, something that is considered as luxury can be non-luxury for someone else. This is further strengthened by Liu et al. (2019) as they describe psychological benefits as the factor that separates luxury from non-luxury. Luxury travel is about an experience that can be expensive, have superior service but is not always easy to access. It can also be considered a symbol of social or personal identity. In the end, it should give the tourist a feeling of pleasure (ibid.). As Bakker (2005) said “for consumers, luxury travel is about dreams coming true” (p.13).

2.1.2 Transformative Tourism Lean (2012) connect transformative to tourism since travel can influence the travelers experience as well as the destination itself. Furthermore, the article describes transformative as change in nature, appearance or form (ibid.). According to Pung and Chiappa (2020) transformative tourism can help to expand people’s worldview at the same time as it gives inclusiveness and the feeling of belonging to the world. The goal with transformative tourism is to obtain self-fulfillment (ibid.). Like mentioned earlier, Soulard et al. (2019) describes it as a form of development regarding awareness for oneself and others as well as life changing

experiences. Pung and Chiappa (2020) state that the most important drive in tourism is self- fulfillment, which is something that should be used when marketing transformative services. In addition, the possibility to learn new skills and knowledge is important (ibid.). In transformative tourism, transformative learning is essential and the main pillar. This kind of learning aims to have an impact on the person even after they have returned home (Pung & Chiappa, 2020). It can be in the form of new skills or attitudes towards certain things (ibid.).

2.1.3 Experience Tourism Like mentioned before, there is no objective definition of experience tourism (Jensen & Prebensen, 2015). It can be described as something differentiated and of intangible value for the customer at that time (ibid.). According to Lindberg et al. (2014) value creation is found in the experience. Consumers are searching for memorable personal experience when traveling (De Bruin & Jelincic, 2016) and something extraordinary in their everyday life (Lindberg et al., 2014). Similar to transformative tourism, the customer wants to return to their everyday life as a renewed person (ibid.). De Bruin and Jelinic (2016) talks about a new concept, participatory experience tourism, also referred to as PET, which is described as “tourism involving a process of adding value to an experience through active participation by the tourist” (p.60). This means the experience is integrated with acquisition of skills while participating (ibid.).

According to Adriana (2019) people are more likely to display with experiences rather than materialistic products. Hence, experiences say something about the tourist’s personality. Nowadays, travelers focus more on the experience and less on the place itself. Adriana (2019) also states that traditional explorers were replaced with tourist that what to learn through experience, which strengthens what Lindberg et al. (2014) implied.

An important factor for the experience tourism is the cooperation between the local tourism firms (Jensen & Prebensen, 2015). The experience tourism sector often consists of small local companies driven by entrepreneurship (ibid.), usually with a strong similarity between the company and their customers (Hoarau-Heemstra & Eide, 2019). Furthermore, the tourism sector is a multiple industry with a lot of interacting organizations like transportation, accommodation and tour guides to name a few. The article also argues it should be considered a group of industries rather than just tourism (Hampton, Jeyacheya & Long, 2018). The creation of experience can companies use to compete globally (De Bruin & Jelincic, 2016; Hoarau- Heemstra & Eide, 2019)

2.1.4 Nature-based Tourism Nature-based tourism is a key factor for tourism in the Nordic countries and it has grown at a rapid rate (Fredman & Tyrväinen, 2010). According to Fredman and Tyrväinen (2010), one of the problems with studying nature-based tourism is the lack of a universal definition. However, there is a national definition for nature-based tourism in Finland. It can be defined as “... to cover activities that people do while on holiday and which focus on engagement with nature and usually includes an overnight stay” (Fredman & Tyrväinen, 2010, p.179). It is the climate in the Nordic countries that provides the opportunity to experience great outdoor activities, both during summer and winter (Schilar & Keskitalo, 2018).

According to Lindberg, Veisten and Halse (2019), nature-based tourism can be divided into three different categories. The first one is experiences dependent on the natural setting, such as safari or viewing the northern lights. In other words, it is tourism that relies on experience that is directly connected to a specific destination. Experiences enhanced by the natural setting is the second one, an example of this is camping. The third and last one can be described as experiences in which the nature has a dependent role (Fredman, Wall-Reinius, & Grundén, 2012). In this case, it can be an outdoor swimming pool. Relevant for all types of nature-based tourism is the simple fact that nature is a key factor. A key factor that at the same time seeks to be preserved in order to minimize environmental disturbance (Lindberg et al., 2019). Furthermore, they point out the importance of understanding visitors' needs, desires and expectations in order to create successful and sustainable facilities for the tourists (ibid.).

When reading about nature-based tourism, the concept eco-tourism occurs in many journals. According to Tojeiro (2011), eco-tourism is described as “activities related to tourists and visitors or services which give support to local populations, cultures and economies in a positive way, besides contributing to ecological protection and sustainability” (p.222). Eco-tourism focuses on visiting remote and unchanged nature where the tourists have a low impact on the environment and the surroundings (ibid.). According to Lee and Jan (2020) people's awareness toward the environmental issues have had an impact on the travel industry. Therefore, alternative tourism models (i.e. eco-tourism) arose (ibid.). Lee and Jan (2020) state the importance of the tourist’s behavior towards the destination and its sustainable development. Eco-tourism can further be mentioned as sustainable tourism, especially in natural areas (Pforr, 2001). The idea behind both eco-tourism and sustainable tourism was to enlighten the problem with unrestricted mass tourism and unlimited growth. Therefore, sustainable tourism can be

described as the tourism that takes full responsibility for the current but also future social, economic and environmental impacts it will have (Zhang & Chan, 2020).

The tourism industry is deeply dependent on the destinations to have sustained beauty and hospitality, this in order to continue being an attractive destination (Frey & George, 2010). According to Frey and George (2010), responsible tourism can be described as “...providing better holiday experiences for guests and good business opportunities to enjoy better quality of life through increased socio-economic benefits and improved natural resource management” (p. 622). By implementing a responsible approach companies or organizations reputation can increase at the same time as it can be an effective marketing tool as well (ibid.).

2.2 Tourism in Remote Areas Tourism destinations both provide travelers with desirable destinations to visit, but contribute with other benefits as well. Tourism has the opportunity to provide local communities with new jobs (Möller & Amcoff, 2018) and provide remote communities with many economic benefits. Especially in areas where nature itself is the tourist attraction (Sisneros-Kidd, Monz, Hausner, Schmidt & Clark, 2019). Furthermore, Möller and Amcoff (2018) bring up the fact that growing areas in northernmost counties in Sweden have been identified, so called hotspots. Tourists’ attraction to places increase the place's attractiveness and make more people aware of its existence (ibid.). Sisneros-Kidd et al. (2019) discuss the phenomenon “last chance tourism”. They indicate that some destinations flock tourists because of their unknown future. This phenomenon is well-known in the arctic region where the tourism destination changes due to climate changes (ibid.).

As a result of the environment and landscape that occurs in high-latitude areas, as in the northern part of Sweden, people are willing to travel large distances in order to experience it (Sisneros-Kidd et al., 2019). Another factor influencing the increasing tourism to remote areas is the accessibility to get there. Without the infrastructure, these destinations will not be able to handle the stream of tourists. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for remote communities to be able to handle the growth within tourism in order to keep the place sustainable and not affect the quality of the tourist experience (ibid.).

Adiyia, De Rademaeker, Vanneste and Ahebwa (2017) talk about the importance of value chains within small tourism destinations and enterprises. Spencer, Safari and Dakora (2014) define the value chain as a range of activities that are required to bring a service or product through different phases in order to reach the end costumer. The tourism value chain links the enterprises together, helping them to create a market (Adiyia et al., 2017). Similar to Jensen and Prebensen (2015) who also stated the importance of cooperation between companies within small communities. The tourism value chain differs in many ways from other products. According to Teodorescu, Stancioiu, Ravar and Botos (2015), the tourism value chain is one of the most complex ones as several organizations contribute to one single tourism product. Each tourism product can include accommodation, transport, and food which make it complex. Despite the number of operators in the value chain, it is important for the organizations to define the product and how to control it. This in order to make sure the product fulfills the tourists needs (ibid.). Therefore, organizations need to identify their strengths in order to still fulfill tourists needs but at the same time not cause overcrowding.

2.2.1 Tourism Destination Image (TDI) According to Shankar (2019) the primary goal for each tourism destination is to provide the traveler with a memorable experience. It is crucial to understand a tourist’s perception of a destination, this in order to make the destination the tourist's first choice in the decision-making process. Previous literature indicates the importance of understanding TDI as it has the power to both influence and rearrange a tourist’s perception of a destination. There are different factors that play a role in that, such as the information the tourist receives as well as past experiences. In an article by Bigné (2001, quoted in Shankar, 2019) TDI can be defined as “the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that a person has of a destination” (p.8). It is further described as mental pictures/images individuals have about something (Binter et al., 2016).

Additionally, TDI can be divided into two different aspects, cognitive and affective image (Shankar, 2019). The difference between them is that cognitive image is about the belief a tourist has about a destination while affective image is about the feeling the tourist associates with the destination. Both aspects play an important role when trying to understand TDI as the image of a destination is a collection of a person’s feelings and beliefs (Shankar, 2019). In that matter, the power often lies outside the actual destination and instead lies within the visitor (Keskitalo & Schilar, 2017).

Another aspect that is important to understand when talking about tourism and destination image, is that each destination can be substituted to another (Xie, 2013). According to Xie (2013) it is not enough to only describe the physical attributes a destination has to offer. In order to create an image of the place that the visitor will perceive as desirable, many studies emphasize the importance of highlighting the intangible and emotional appeals of a destination as well. In that matter, a destination can create a unique identity for the tourism destination by creating a destination personality (ibid.). According to Ekinci and Hosany (2006), destination personality can be seen as a metaphor when creating a unique identity for tourism destinations as well as when building destination brands.

2.2.2 Overcrowding According to Rasoolimanesh et al. (2017), the number of tourist arrivals to a destination is crucial for maintaining tourism development. The perception a tourist has of a destination influences their decision-making. Therefore, crowding can affect a tourist’s decision-making, depending on their view of crowding. If the tourist finds crowding something that has a negative impact on their experience, it can affect their decision to revisit the place or to recommend someone else to go there, and vice versa (ibid.). Crowding is an evaluation term that describes when an individual believes there are too many encounters, relative to that person's perception of too many (Luque-Gil, Gómez-Moreno & Peláez-Fernández, 2018).

Furthermore, Jacobsen et al. (2019) describes how crowding can both be seen as a source to negative traveler reactions, but also work as an indicator of a tourism destination's popularity and fame. Even though crowding is determined based on an individual's perception of it, it also depends on what kind of tourism that is developed in an area (Santana-Jiménez & Hernández, 2011). What further can play a big part in the perception of a place being crowded is how the tourism destination is designed, for example where visitors arrive to the destination (Jacobsen et al., 2019), how the interaction with the local community is and the access to public facilities (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017). The impact tourism will have on the environment is another factor. A tourist's demographic factors, such as a tourist's nationality, education, age, level of income can also affect the tourist’s perception regarding a place being crowded (ibid.). According to Luque-Gil et al. (2018), there have been studies done in the United States that shows 40% of people that visit a national park have an issue with crowding. Similar studies have been done in Europe which shows that 10-64% of the younger visitors experience this as a problem (ibid.).

2.3 Frame of Reference This study’s focus is on tourism in Norrbotten and what role different tourism categories have on the destination. The following section will be the theoretical framework of the thesis that will support the research purpose. The most important research from the previous section will be presented with the purpose of answering the thesis research questions. In Table 1 below, the research purpose and research questions are presented.

TABLE 1: RESEARCH PURPOSE AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The purpose of this thesis is to get a better understanding of what the Research purpose core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten.

RQ1 What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive?

RQ2 How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding?

This Table represent the focus of this thesis and a coordinated system for this study in a frame of reference. This section will end with a frame of reference of the chosen research questions with help from the literature review. This frame of reference will make the thesis approach clearer. The collected data in the literature review will work as a foundation for the thesis and data collection.

2.3.1 Frame of Reference for Question One The thesis first research question aims to describe what tourism categories and factors for tourism in Norrbotten that is of outermost importance. The different tourism categories connected to tourism in the Nordic countries where presented in the literature review. The purpose for RQ1 is to get a better understanding regarding what the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten.

Schilar and Keskitalo (2018) and Sisneros-Kidd et al. (2019) both describe that one of the most important factor for countries like Sweden, especially in the northern parts, is the outdoor environment. The environment and possibility to experience something out of the ordinary makes people more willing to travel long distance (Sisneros-Kidd et al., 2019). Another aspect that attract tourist to the northern part of Sweden is so called “hotspots”. These get more attention because people are more aware of remote destinations nowadays (Möller & Amcoff,

2018). Research by Adiyia et al. (2017) indicate that the tourism value chain is what makes the enterprises within the local communities survived on the market. In other words, the core of the tourisms whole existences in these remote and local communities.

TABLE 2: FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR RESEARCH QUESTION 1

RQ1 Subject Key issues Reference

New tourism Tailor-made getaways. Bakker (2005)

Schilar & Keskitalo Northern Provide opportunities for great (2018); Sisneros- countries outdoor activities experiences. Kidd et al. (2019)

Have so-called “hotspots” that Möller & Amcoff What features attract people. (2018) make tourism Tourism in Sweden People are willing to travel far to in Norrbotten Sisneros-Kidd et al. experience the landscape and exclusive? (2019) environment.

Adiyia et al. The range of activities that are (2017); Jensen & The tourism required to reach the end Prebensen (2015); value chain costumer. The value chain links Spencer et al. enterprises together. (2014)

2.3.2 Frame of Reference for Question Two The second research question aims to understand the phenomenon of overcrowding and the effect it has on a tourist destination. In the literature review the concept TDI was presented, followed by research regarding overcrowding. The purpose of RQ2 is to understand the effect overcrowding have on destinations and their future growth.

As mentioned in the previous chapters, a lot of tourists have problem with overcrowding, especially in places connected to nature (Luque-Gil et al, 2018; Santana-Jiménez & Hernández, 2011). Although, the perception of what is considered overcrowding is in the eyes of the beholder (Santana-Jiménez & Hernández, 2011). However, like mentioned in Jacobsen et al.

(2019), factors like the design of a destination also have effect on the feeling of overcrowding. Similar to RQ1, the collaboration between local enterprises are of high importance for counteract the feeling of overcrowding (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017).

TABLE 3: FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR RESEARCH QUESTION 2

RQ2 Subject Key issues Reference

The interaction with the Rasoolimanesh et al. Growth in remote local community is (2017); Adiyia et al. areas important. (2017)

Luque-Gil et al. (2018); People tend to have How can tourism Rasoolimanesh et al. problems with in Norrbotten (2017); Jacobsen et al. overcrowding. grow without (2019) risking Overcrowding The design of the overcrowding? Jacobsen et al. (2019) destination is important.

Santana-Jiménez & Some people are more Hernández (2011); sensitive towards Rasoolimanesh et al. crowding. (2017)

3. METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the methodology of the thesis will be presented. The following parts will be included; research purpose, research approach, literature search, data collection, sample selection, data analysis, and quality standards. This will work as the framework and structure enabling the authors to answer the research purpose and research questions.

3.1 Research Purpose A research purpose can be of three different types, exploratory, explanatory and descriptive (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2012). Depending on how the research question is asked, either one of these or a combination of the different types will be appropriate to the research project (ibid.). According to Saunders et al. (2012), exploratory studies means to ask open questions in order to gain information about a topic and is helpful when trying to clarify a problem. One beneficial aspect with exploratory research is its flexibility and its way to adapt to changes. Secondly, Saunders et al. (2012) explains that descriptive studies is about getting a clear picture of the phenomena you wish to collect data about. With this in mind, the authors decided to adapt to an exploratory and descriptive approach to make sure the research questions were answered.

This study aims to contribute with an understanding on how tourism in Norrbotten is connected to exclusivity and how tourism in Norrbotten can grow without risking overcrowding. This with the help of the study's research questions: “What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive?” and “How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding?”. Since this thesis aims to clarify a problem regarding tourism in Norrbotten, an exploratory approach will be beneficial. By using descriptive approach, the study could through the collected information describe how tourism in Norrbotten can grow, and why tourism in Norrbotten is considered exclusive.

3.2 Research Approach According to Saunders et al. (2012), research approach can be divided into two different approaches, deductive or inductive. Deductive is when a conclusion is derived from a set of premises and is often used when the study is based on previous literature and theories. Based on these premises, this study can be considered to have a deductive approach since the study is based on previous literature and theories. Regarding the research design, this thesis has implemented a qualitative approach (ibid.). This in order to get a better understanding of what

the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten, but also to understand how tourism can grow without risking overcrowding. According to Saunders et al. (2012) qualitative research can be described as the data that is collected that generates non-numeric data, such as interviews. According to David and Sutton (2016) qualitative research is rather about collecting words than numeric data. Furthermore, Yin (2013) writes about how a qualitative approach depicts the opinions and views of the people included in the study. Something that is beneficial for this study as it provides a deeper understanding for the chosen topic. It also gives the researchers a chance to gain insight into the prevailing and emerging concepts that may exist in the industry. Additionally, by collecting data through a qualitative approach restrictions can be avoided, something that pre-made questionnaires on the other hand can create (ibid.). This contributes to get a better and reliable picture of what is being studied.

3.3 Research Strategy According to Saunders et al. (2012) the research strategy “is the methodological link between your philosophy and subsequent choice of method to collect and analyze data” (p.173). It is important to select the right research strategy in order to achieve the objectives for the thesis (ibid.). For this thesis, a case study was therefore the most suitable. A case study can be conducted through interviews, surveys or focus groups (David & Sutton, 2011). Saunders et al. (2012) suggest that a case study is beneficial to use when a deeper understanding of the context is desired. Furthermore, they connect case studies with exploratory studies (ibid.) which strengthens the thesis choice of strategy. A case study can be conducted through four different strategies (Saunders et al., 2012). However, this thesis will use a multiple case study.

The chosen strategy, multiple case study, is used when more than one interview is conducted (Saunders et al., 2012). Hence, the thesis can gain a wider perspective about tourism in Norrbotten. By doing this, different views could be identified and analyzed. Furthermore, a second dimension that refers to the unit of analysis was chosen. According to Saunders et al. (2012), there are two different unit of analysis approaches, either embedded case study or holistic case study. In this thesis, a holistic approach was most suited. This because the thesis analyzed the overall picture of the organization in question, which indicates that a holistic approach was used. If an embedded case study would have been used, the organization would have been divided into small sub-units, workgroups or departments (Saunders et al., 2012).

3.4 Data Collection This section is about the collecting of the empirical data (Saunders et al., 2012). There are two different approaches of collecting data, primary and secondary data. Saunders et al. (2012) describes primary data as the research and collection of entirely new data that is directly targeting the actual study. Secondary data refers to the already existing and developed material, such as articles and scholarly journals that have been published (ibid.). The secondary data for this thesis was used to gain a foundation before colleting the primary data through interviews. The secondary data was later used to compare with the findings from the primary data.

According to Yin (2013) data may be referred to as the collection of organized information, which is a result of experience, experiment and observations. Data is the basis for a research study (ibid.). The intention with this study was to acquire new data, in other words primary data. In order to collect primary data, interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview approach (Saunders et al., 2012). By using a semi-structured interview approach when collecting primary data, open-ended questions could be used. Semi-structured interviews allowed the questions to be flexible and the order of the questions can be altered during the interview. New follow-up questions could also be added during the interview (Madill, 2011).

Additionally, interviews can be divided into two main categories: structured interviews and qualitative interviews (Yin, 2013). In this study, qualitative interviews were used. According to Yin (2013) this type of interview usually consists of an idea of what should be asked during the interview, rather than a strict manuscript. A qualitative interview proceeds a conversation where room for a bidirectional interaction is given. By having interviews with one person at the time, the interviewee can easily get more in-depth and therefore get a deeper understanding of the collected data (ibid.).

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the interviews were conducted through Zoom. When conducting primary data, it is important to take into consideration that the data will consist of some parts of the authors interpretations and thoughts since they are the most important research instrument (Yin, 2013). The interviews were held in Swedish which minimize the risk of misunderstanding between the interviewer and the person being interviewed. However, the risk of mistranslating the collected data into English occurs. Thus, both authors are fluent in Swedish and English this risk of inaccurate translations was minimized. In order to make sure

the translations were done correctly a dictionary was used. The interview guide is presented in Appendix 1.

3.4.1 Literature Search In this thesis keywords were chosen in the search for scholarly journals to find accurate information regarding the chosen topic. Peer review journals were chosen to keep the thesis objective. The selected keywords were: tourism industry, overcrowding, and arctic region. To broaden the perspective, related words were used. The related words were: nature-based tourism, experience tourism, transformative tourism, luxury tourism, and tourism destination image. In some cases, the journals reference list could be used to find similar journals within the chosen subject. The databases used were Ebscohost, Business premier, and Google scholar in some cases.

3.5 Sample Selection When conducting a sample selection, there are two different techniques, probability and non- probability selection (Saunders et al., 2012). A probability selection is often conducted through a survey. The chance of being selected should be equal and known. Contrary to probability, a non-probability selection does not have to be random (ibid.). The non-probability selection can be generalized to the population, but not on statistical grounds. This because generalizations are made based on theory rather than the population itself. In order to answer the research questions, a random sample would not be beneficiary for the thesis (Saunders et al., 2012.). In order to receive relevant information about the core of exclusiveness for tourism in Norrbotten and overcrowding, people with knowledge within the area were required. Therefore, a random sample would not have helped the authors answer the research questions.

According to Saunders et al. (2012) there are four different types of non-probability selection, quota, purposive, volunteer, and haphazard. In this thesis, a purposive selection was most suitable. A purposive selection would let the authors select the most suited sample to answer the research question. However, it cannot be applied to the entire population (ibid.). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact it has on the tourism industry, the sample selection had to be reduced. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, this thesis had to limit the number of cases to two. The selected sample for this thesis is one company and one organization located in Norrbotten, Sweden.

The chosen companies were inquired by their size and involvement in the value chain. Therefore, two interviews were conducted. The first interview was with the communication manager at Swedish Lapland, Anna Odevall. Swedish Lapland works with the value chain and all the companies involved with tourism in Norrbotten county. Therefore, an interview with her gave the authors a broad perspective. In order to see this from a company perspective, the second interview was with the CEO of Pine Bay lodge. A company that works with the natural recourses available throughout the year, in the northern part of Sweden.

TABLE 4: A PRESENTATION OF THE CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS.

Company Position Experience Date Length Collected via

Swedish Communication 5 years 05/11/2020 45 min Zoom Lapland manager Pine Bay CEO 20 years 05/11/2020 30 min Zoom Loge

3.6 Data Analysis After conducting the two interviews with the organizations, the data could be analyzed. According to David and Sutton (2011) a qualitative study can be analyzed in two ways, content and discourse analysis. In this case, a content analysis has been conducted as it let the authors draw conclusions from the completed interviews (ibid.). According to Saunders et al. (2012), the objectives could also be helpful to structure the findings from a qualitative study.

The focus of the interviews was to gather as much information as possible about the tourism in Norrbotten and its core features. Therefore, the interviews were recorded with a Dictaphone to make sure all gathered information could be accessed. Later on, the recorded interviews were transcribed and translated to English since the interviews were executed in Swedish. When analyzing the data from the interviews it was important to do a thorough transcript (Saunders et al., 2012). Doing a transcript of a qualitative interview does not only mean the things that were said, but also the way they were said. This is a time-consuming work, but important to not miss important information (ibid.). In the working process of analyzing the written material, the frame of reference in the literature review could be used as a helpful guideline. The interviews were firstly being presented separately followed by a comparison of the similarities and differences with previous research. This by presenting a table with the key issues from the

frame of reference in order to make the comparison easier to understand. Thereafter, the two cases were compared with each other in order to answer the research questions. This helped to get a better understanding of the gathered information.

3.7 Quality Standards According to Molander (2003) can the credibility of a study be measured by looking at its reliability and validity. Within all groups of science there is a requirement for reliability and validity when conducting a study. This to make sure that the researcher actually is investigating what it aims to investigate (Bjereld, Demker & Hinnfors, 2009). Furthermore, how the authors have ensured reliability and validity in order to create a high-quality study is outlined below.

3.7.1 Reliability According to Riege (2003), reliability refers to when procedures and operations of the research can be repeated by others which will have similar results/findings. This due to the fact that the procedure can be replicated. This can further create a problem when using interviews as a way of collecting data as people are not considered to be a static measurement. In that matter, the result can differ if the research would be made twice. At the same time this can be seen as a benefit as it can provide a valuable extra source of information (ibid.). Another important factor to take into consideration is how the persons that perform the research have its own perceptions that will affect the interpretation. By being aware of this and controlling it the threat is being minimized to a certain degree (Saunders et al., 2012).

The interviews were held in a secluded room over Zoom in order to create privacy for both the participants. Furthermore, the authors were prepared for the interview and if anything felt unclear follow-up questions were added. This in order to avoid researcher error (Saunders et al., 2012). Additionally, the authors had carefully chosen how to open the interview and provided the interviewee with relevant background information regarding the research purpose. In order to make the interviewee feel more comfortable, Saunders et al. (2012) suggest providing an information sheet right before the interview so the interviewee knows the structure of the interview to some degree. This was conducted by sending the questions in advance to the interviewees.

3.7.2 Validity In simple terms, validity can be explained as the extent to which we are really investigating what we intend to investigate (Bjereld et al., 2009). The validity is high if the study measures what it intended to measure (ibid.). According to Saunders et al. (2012) different kinds of validity have been identified to ensure the quality of the research. An interview can achieve high validity if the questions are clarified, probe meanings are used and if the responses are being explored and analyzed from a variety of angles (ibid.). Theoretical concepts and jargons were avoided in order to prevent any misunderstanding between the participants. Furthermore, open questions were used as it allows the interviewee to describe a situation deeper and at the same time provide the authors with extensive information. At the same time, the authors made sure to not use leading or proposing types of questions in order to avoid bias. In order to avoid any misunderstanding, the interviewers read the gathered information after the interview was done for the interviewee. This gave the interview the opportunity to clarify or confirm that the authors had received the information correctly. Another factor that increased the trustworthiness of the collected data was the fact that both interviews were held in Swedish which is all of the participants native language.

4. EMPIRICAL DATA In the fourth chapter, the collected data that was gathered through semi-structured interviews will be presented. The interview questions were designed to answer the research questions. The empirical data will be presented separately for each research question, further divided into Case 1 and Case 2.

4.1 RQ1: What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive? The thesis first research question aimed to examine what features makes tourism in Norrbotten exclusive. In order to be able to investigate this, questions were formulated in a way that would give the authors information about it. Firstly, the interviews began with a brief explanation about the thesis and what the purpose of the study was. This to make sure the interviewee knew what the topic was about before starting to answer the questions. In addition, both interviewees were first asked for how long they have been working within the tourism sector. Interviewee one had five years of experience while interviewee two had over 20 years of experience. This provided an overview of their experience in this research area.

4.1.1 Case 1 – Swedish Lapland The first interview was with Swedish Lapland's communication manager, Anna Odevall. The interview began with questions about the interviewee´s background within the industry as well as within the company. This provided an understanding and knowledge regarding her role at the company. Furthermore, Odevall was asked what type of tourist that mostly visits Norrbotten. The answer was clear: Nature-based tourism.

“It is the strongest travel trend. You want to travel sustainably, you want to experience nature, you want to be able to contribute on your journey and you want to experience an adventure” – (A. Odevall, Personal Communication, May 11, 2020)

According to Odevall, Nature-based tourism is growing rapidly all over the world and is a tourism that is naturally very suitable for Norrbotten. She also points out that the tourism in Norrbotten has been about nature-based tourism, even before it became a global trend. This is a result of the scenery the destination possesses, but also the kind of lifestyle people in the northern part of Sweden have. She describes how tourists’ travel here to experience walking on ice, make coffee over an open fire and take water directly from a stream. Odevall describes how the lifestyle in Norrbotten is in harmony with the nature, “We live on the conditions of nature and what is very ordinary for us, is very extreme and astonishing for someone else”.

Additionally, when Odevall was being asked to describe tourism in Norrbotten she described it as a new primary industry. It consists of power to create innovations, such as making a business from northern lights. She also explains how Norrbotten as a destination is well known globally for its incredible host, but also to have a small-scale tourism. Tourism in Norrbotten is known to be nature orientated and people who choose to visit this destination want first-hand experience of it. The tourists are usually a group of people with strong purchasing power. She explains that this target group of people can easily spend 30 000 SEK before the adventure has even started. She also discussed what she believes makes Norrbotten as a destination exclusive. “It is probably that our values are values that are highly demanded in the world right now. The world is very big, very insecure, crowded, cities are growing bigger and we have globalization”. Odevall explains how all this creates a reverse demand, where people want the opposite instead. People find what Norrbotten as a destination has to offer as very appealing. Nature is a big factor. Furthermore, she describes how Norrbotten has some kind of authenticity and that it is genuine and simple.

Another feature for Norrbotten is what Odevall mentions as clusters, which are companies that work around the same area. These clusters create tourism attractions, such as the Icehotel and Treehotel. But another important factor for Norrbotten is how tourists can be connected to their main reason to visit the destination. Odevall explains that by connecting people in this way, companies can create experiences and adventures that will reach out to a specific group of people. For example, fly fishermen or trail runners. She describes how it has changed how the destination looks at the tourists.

4.1.2 Case 2 – Pine Bay Lodge The second interview was with Göran Vidén, who is one of the owners of Pine Bay Lodge, located outside of Luleå. Vidén states that the fastest growing tourism in Norrbotten is nature- based tourism. People have a desire to experience the northern lights and “winter wonderland”. He explains that Pine Bay Lodge works with creating tailor-made getaways, both for families and couples. The kind of tourist they focus to target is so-called high-end tourists. This target group want to have excellent quality and have a desire to be alone with the experience. Vidén described Norrbotten, as a destination, to have a small-scale tourism. The importance lies within having a high degree of personal service and to deliver high quality of hosting. He makes a comparison to tourism in the Northern parts of Finland, i.e. Santa Claus’s village, where they build large facilities to increase the number of tourist. According to him, these places are

dependent on international travelers and lack a local market. Vidén furthermore explains that the focus is to have small-scale tourism that is built on local hosting and by that create a genuineness.

In order to get a better understanding of tourism in Norrbotten, questions regarding exclusiveness were asked. This provided the authors an opportunity to get the perspective from a local actor. Vidén confirms that Norrbotten as a destination can be considered as exclusive:

“Nature experiences embedded in good hosting, and good food are some of the reasons why people find Norrbotten so appealing” – (G. Vidén, Personal Communication, May 11, 2020).

One of their most popular activities they offer is “aurora hideaway dinner”, which is a dinner concept where you eat dinner in a lodge out on the frozen sea. Something that Vidén describes to be totally unique. The frozen sea is, what Vidén explains, their unique selling point. It creates something that is odd and different which attracts visitors. Another factor that contributes to the tourism in Norrbotten is the close cooperation with other local enterprises. Vidén states how important it is to collaborate with others when having a small company as it can create a positive synergy effect. He describes how 7-8 small enterprises have come together to help each other with marketing and other business-related activities. By helping each other out, the chance to be able to offer what the customers desire, increases.

4.2 RQ2: How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding? The second research question examines the future for tourism in Norrbotten. From the literature review the issue with overcrowding arose. Therefore, the focus on the questions regarding the future where in that subject. Although, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, questions in that area were discussed too.

4.2.1 Case 1 – Swedish Lapland Odevall states that the challenge Norrbotten as a destination has to be aware of is its accessibility. How tourists can get there and how they can travel within the destination. According to her, it is their job to make it happen. In general, she thinks the infrastructure is important but also things like mobile coverage, something the tourist might see as a matter of course.

Today, Odevall does not see overcrowding as a problem. The local residents in the mountains may perceive some weeks of the year as overcrowded since they host a marathon called “Fjällräven classic”. During this week, the mountains are filled with people from different parts of the world. Something that the local residents might be negative towards. Therefore, Odevall highlights the importance of collaboration between local enterprises and individuals.

“It is important that there is no kind of contradiction between the tourism industry and the locals, that is, we who live up here and we who want to enjoy being in our living environment.” – (A. Odevall, Personal Communication, May 11, 2020).

Furthermore, despite the previous record year, Norrbotten does not reach the volume that might be considered as overcrowded. Although, Odevall indicate that overcrowding will become an issue in the near future. Something that have to be overlooked and discussed right away. The issue with overcrowding will not regulate itself in the future. According to Odevall, their current target group is towards an exclusive target group. Something that might change in the future. Hence, something to take into considerations when building for the future since a different kind of tourism might arise. Odevall state the importance to be prepared for issues that can arise, i.e. overcrowding to mention one.

When the question regarding strategies to prevent the issue Odevall mentioned the new tourism strategy that Swedish Lapland will conduct in the near future. This strategy will last for 10 years and will focus on destination development, the accessibility and how this is sustainable for the destination. According to Odevall, the issue with overcrowding will affect both tourists and locals. She strengthens the importance of preserving the values found here. Overall, she thinks everyone have to see it from an inside perspective, “how can we preserve what we have while increasing the number of visitors?”.

Furthermore, the uncertainty regarding the future is real. Odevall state the importance of a good marketing strategy where the nature-based tourism is in focus, building on the right values. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the uncertainty in the industry is noticeable. She is worried about how this has affected the economy and the former growing middle class. When talking about the future for tourism connected to the pandemic, Odevall said the following:

“a lot of what we wanted and knew before will come again, people will start to travel again, people want to learn about other people, people want to share something […] Those we talk to do not want to ruin travel, but you want to contribute. Such values will be left afterwards, but the question is who will be able to travel and when?” – (A. Odevall, Personal Communication, May 11, 2020)

4.2.2 Case 2 – Pine Bay Lodge Regarding the future, Vidén mentioned how recent events have shown how vulnerable the industry is. The uncertainty towards the future and the effects this pandemic will have is yet to be unknown. Vidén mentions the remote communities, with small local market, and mean that they are facing a tough future. Mainly because of uncertainty and environmental reasons. Further on, Vidén mentions the climate change and talk about the importance of adapting in the future:

“If we don’t have a winter, that concept fails, especially when tourists come here to experience the winter. At that time, it is important to work smart and adapt” – (G. Vidén, Personal Communication, May 11, 2020)

According to Vidén, overcrowding is not an issue for them. By working in small-scale, they can avoid mass tourism and the problem with overcrowding. Today, they have limited recourses when it comes to number of rooms they can offer. Therefore, Vidén implies that they are not affected by overcrowding nor will be in the future.

5. DATA ANALYSIS This chapter will present an analysis of the data from the previous chapters. The collected data will be compared to the items in the frame of reference. The data analysis will portray how the collected data matches or differs from the theory.

5.1 RQ1: What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive? According to Bakker (2005), tailor-made getaways create a feeling of exclusiveness and provide an opportunity to deliver what the tourist desires. This was something that could be confirmed being true from the collected data from the interviews. Both emphasized the importance of being able to deliver what the tourist desires in order to create a feeling of satisfaction. By creating tailor-made getaways, people can get a feeling of accomplishing a dream they have had, according to Vidén. However, to consider tailor-made getaways as a new type of tourism is not applicable for tourism in Norrbotten. This is due to the fact that one of the companies, Pine Bay Lodge has worked with this concept for over 20 years. However, it is not possible on the basis from the limited collected data from interviews, to draw the conclusion that this is applicable for all tourism in Norrbotten. A possible scenario is that tailor-made getaways have been available in Norrbotten for over 20 years, but have recently become bigger and available to even greater extent.

Both Vidén and Odevall clearly stated that Norrbotten is the perfect destination to experience outdoor activities, as well as experience something new. Something that is strengthened by Schilar and Keskitalo (2018). According to Schilar and Keskitalo (2018), the northern part of Sweden is known for the “great outdoors” connected to activities, as well as a nature-based tourism. Activities such as watching the midnight sun or the northern lights. Vidén and Odevall describe how the tourism industry in Norrbotten is built off and depended on small local enterprises who all work together. This can be connected to the theory, as Schilar and Keskitalo (2018) writes about the importance of “lifestyle entrepreneurship” in rural areas.

Moreover, the literature states that nature is a very strong factor that attracts people to visit the destination. A destination that provides opportunities to experience the closeness to the mountains, forest landscapes but also unique natural phenomena. Something that is confirmed by Odevall as she explains how people from all over the world visit the northern part of Sweden to be part of a marathon that is located in the mountains. A marathon that is possible to host

because of the closeness to the mountains. Vidén states the importance of nature in order for them to be able to run their business. This is a result of their business being built on the nature they have access to. As mentioned earlier, one of their most popular activities is to enjoy an exclusive dinner in a lodge out on the frozen sea. Something that is fully dependent on nature. According to Odevall, the combination of the environment in Norrbotten with the lifestyle people have there, is what makes the destination such a good place to experience unique environments and landscapes.

According to Möller and Amcoff (2018), there are growing tourism areas in the northern part of Sweden, so called hotspots. Both Vidén and Odevall mention this phenomenon as clusters, which is an area where more people tend to gather. Two clusters Odevall mentioned were the Icehotel and Treehotel. Since these two tourist destinations are globally known in today's society, other enterprises and people tend to gather around these areas. Both Vidén and Odevall stressed how important Icehotel has been for tourism in Norrbotten. It created awareness and made the rest of the world aware of Norrbotten. These hotspots created a growth for new enterprises, but it also created societies where people tend to move to.

Additionally, Sisneros-Kidd et al. (2019) describes how people are willing to travel far in order to experience high-latitude areas. This as a result of wanting to see extreme landscapes and to experience indigenous communities, but also culture. This theory could be confirmed by Vidén. He explained that their biggest partners are in England but in general they have visitors from all English-speaking countries. Furthermore, he mentioned that many tourists also come from the German-speaking countries. In other words, a very diverse and international group of tourists travel far, as some of them travel all the way from Australia and New Zealand to explore Norrbotten.

However, Odevall states that around 60% of the tourists are from Norway. Furthermore, she also mentions that the other Nordic countries are frequent visitors. These tourists cannot be considered to travel long distances to experience nature in Norrbotten. At the same time, Odevall explains that England is a stable market group and that the United States is becoming a bigger market group for tourism in Norrbotten. In this matter, the theory can both be supported by the collected data through interviews, while contradicting in some ways.

Additionally, Odevall describes how important cooperation between enterprises is. Swedish Lapland as an organization helps to connect enterprises, and Odevall explains the collaboration between enterprises is beneficial for the tourism industry. This due to the fact that by collaborating, the tourist can be given the opportunity to experience exactly what is desired. Vidén also confirms that a close collaboration between enterprises is highly valued and appreciated among the enterprises. Vidén states that collaboration helps small enterprises to attract the desired target group of tourists. Furthermore, Odevall describes how Swedish Lapland works with connecting a group of tourists with interest in, for example, cycling to a group of enterprises that are dealing with this type of activities. This can be connected to the theory that enterprises are connected to each other as well as the tourism value chain, as each enterprise alone is not able to create a market share by themselves (Adiyia et al., 2017) .

Codes for the Table: + Findings agree with theory +/- Findings match with interview 1 -/+ Findings match with interview 2 - Findings disagree with theory

TABLE 5: CASE ANALYSIS OF THEORY CONNECTED TO RESEARCH QUESTION 1

Previous research Match with findings

Tailor-made getaways are important and are perceived as a new + type of tourism (Bakker, 2005).

The northern countries provide opportunities for great outdoor activities and experiences (Schilar & Keskitalo, 2018); (Sisneros- + Kidd et al., 2019).

Tourism in Sweden have so-called “hotspots” that attract people + (Möller & Amcoff, 2018).

People are willing to travel far to experience the landscape and - /+ environment (Sisneros-Kidd et al., 2019).

The tourism vale chain links enterprises together (Adiyia et al., + 2017); (Jensen & Prebensen, 2015).

5.2 RQ2: How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding? Jacobsen et al. (2019) talks about the design of a destination and how that can affect the feeling of crowding. Vidén indicates that the design and formation of Pine Bay Lodge is the main reason why they will not be affected by crowding in the near future. Which means he agrees with Jacobsen et al. (2019) theory regarding overcrowding. Odevall on the other hand did not mention the design of the place as a factor for overcrowding. Although, she thinks overcrowding is something that needs to be examined and analyzed more in the future. This could indicate that changes might take place in the near future to ensure it will not be a problem. Jacobsen et al. (2019) also mentions the importance of knowing when crowding is considered as overcrowding, and how to deal with that. This was similar to what Odevall said regarding the future connected to overcrowding.

Like Rasoolimanesh et al. (2017) and Adiyia et al. (2017) stated regarding the interaction with the local communities, both interviewees agreed. As Odevall said, Swedish Lapland’s main responsibility is to work to interconnect the local community. Adiyia et al. (2017) indicate that the interaction is what makes the tourism industry work on the market, something that Vidén could confirm. This by collaborating with numerous other companies within the industry to help each other. Vidén means that collaboration with each other increases the chance for the tourist to get what they desire. This strengthens what Adiyia et al. (2017) said about local enterprises creating a market by collaborating with each other. Odevall also clarified the collaboration between companies and the local residents as equally important for future growth.

The example with “Fjällräven classic” Odevall gave indicates that some people, in this case the local residence, have problems with overcrowding. This strengthens Luque-Gil et al. (2018) theory that some people do have problems with overcrowding. In general, Luque-Gil et al. (2018) said overcrowding is often connected to nature-based tourism. Which is strengthened by the example Odevall gave. Overall, Vidén did not see overcrowding as a big challenge in the future. He was more concerned with other issues connected to the environment, especially in today’s situation with the ongoing pandemic and decrease of tourists. In his opinion, Pine Bay Lodge would not be affected thanks to the design of the place, and not the perception of the tourist. In this case, the data did not match with the findings for the data collection.

Santana-Jiménez and Hernández (2011) said some people are more sensitive towards overcrowding and what is considered as overcrowded is in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, the example Odevall gave with “Fjällräven classic” can verify that. The tourists’ in that case were not affected, but the residents. In the interview with Vidén, he implied that the place is more important, compared to the people, when considering overcrowding. Santana-Jiménez and Hernández (2011) and Luque-Gil et al. (2018) both connects nature-based tourism to overcrowding. They indicate the people who travel to these destinations are more sensitive towards overcrowding, something that Odevall could verify.

TABLE 6: CASE ANALYSIS OF THEORY CONNECTED TO RESEARCH QUESTION 2

Previous research Match with findings

The design of the destination is important for overcrowding - /+ (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017); Adiyia et al., 2017).

The interaction with the local community is important (Luque-Gil + et al., 2018); Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017); Jacobsen et al., 2019).

People tend to have problem with overcrowding (Jacobsen et al., +/- 2019).

Some people are more sensitive toward crowding (Santana- +/- Jiménez & Hernández, 2011); Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017).

6. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION The last and final chapter will present the main findings and conclusions based on previous theories and the collected empirical data. In this chapter, the research questions for the thesis will be answered. This will be divided into sections for each research question. The chapter ends with a presentation of implications for theory, management and future research.

6.1 RQ1: What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive? The purpose for this study was to provide a better understanding of what features are considered exclusive for tourism in Norrbotten. With the help from previous data a conclusion could be established. Since the tourism industry is based on people's desires and interests, new research needs to constantly evolve. This has meant the tourism industry is in constant change, hence the perception of what is considered exclusive.

A feature that was frequently mentioned during both interviews was perhaps the most prominent one; nature-based tourism. Both interviewees and previous literature emphasized how important nature is for Norrbotten. This confirms how important nature-based tourism is in the tourism industry today. Since tourism in Norrbotten was discovered world-wide with a nature-based phenomenon, the Icehotel, it has been natural for others to follow in their footsteps. Many enterprises in Norrbotten have used the environment available to create experiences and activities which allows the tourists to discover nature. These nature assets have always been available, but in recent years they have been developed into a business. An example is the northern lights, something that the locals easily take for granted but something that tourists are willing to pay vast amounts of money for.

To experience personal growth while traveling, a personal transformation, is something the respondent brought up. Further on, the respondent explained how people want to experience more than only exploring beautiful environments. Tourists’ want to travel in a sustainable way and contribute to the place they are visiting. Therefore, the gathered data correspond with what the literature stated, tourists want more than just a five-star hotel. In addition, personal development is equally important. The tourist has a desire to gain new knowledge and experience new things in order to receive more from their travelling.

Moreover, simplicity can be considered as a factor that contributes to a feeling of exclusiveness. The respondents stated how simplicity is a key factor for tourism in Norrbotten. People want to experience what locals perceive to be simple. One of the respondents explains how tourists want to take a walk on the ice, make coffee over an open fire, drink water directly from a stream or just simply pick berries in the woods. Things that are considered to be a part of people's everyday lifestyle in Norrbotten, but considered exclusive for people from other parts of the world. As these experiences, activities, are something that naturally take place in local people's everyday life, it becomes easy to offer it to people from other countries. Something that the respondent confirmed is desired by tourists, as they have a wish to experience the locals’ lifestyle.

Another feature that can be connected to simplicity is small-scale. Neither of the interviewees talked about tourism destinations with large facilities. Instead, many enterprises work with small-scale. Something that many tourists in Norrbotten desires, according to the respondents. People want to have it descaled in order to get a feeling of having a personal and exclusive experience. The respondent explained how Finland has the opposite focus, as they focus on large facilities. Such as Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. A strategy that does not create tailor- made getaways, but rather creates standardized experience for the tourist.

An important element in tailor-made getaways is good hosting. Focus is to offer a personal service that results in pleasant experience. One of the respondent states how important hosting is in order to attract the desired target group, but also in order to distinguish from the rest. It creates a feeling of exclusivity as each tourist is in focus, something people find as authentic. This contributes to a good reputation is created about the place, something that brings even more people to visit the destination. A positive chain reaction that leads to loyal tourists and establishment of new ones at the same time.

6.2 RQ2: How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding? The uncertainty towards the future in all aspects is very evident. The future for tourism in Norrbotten is no exception. As mentioned in the literature review, overcrowding is considered to be a threat in the future. The purpose with the second research question was to examine how enterprises within Norrbotten work for future growth and to reduce the threat of overcrowding.

A recurring concept for future growth throughout the thesis was the collaboration between enterprises and actors on the market. Both interviewees pointed out collaboration and cooperation as a way to ensure a secure future. By helping each other, they can attract different tourism segments and recommend one another. This concept was well-researched in the literature and could very much be confirmed by both respondents. Therefore, one of the key solutions for future growth is collaborations between enterprises.

In the interview, the respondent meant the risk of overcrowding was close to none for his facility since they work on a small-scale. For the respondent overcrowding is not something to take into account when developing future strategies. Something that the literature emphasizes. The other respondent gave examples where overcrowding already is a problem. The respondent was open to the possibility for future change within the subject. In the interview, the authors could see that they had a clear plan for future development. Mostly because they make a new tourism strategy every 10thyear. The respondent highlighted the importance of an open mind in the matter. Despite one of the respondent’s confident attitude towards overcrowding, he states the importance of adapting. Therefore, his attitude might change over time if the problem with overcrowding is prominent.

6.3 Implications for Theory This study's purpose was to provide a better understanding of what the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten and how it can grow without risking overcrowding. This thesis has both confirmed and deviated the existing theory. Furthermore, contributions to the existing theory have also been added. Primarily, the topic of thesis was described and secondarily it was explored. On this basis, the following theoretical implication was established.

The primary type of tourism in Norrbotten is nature-based tourism, a tourism that is growing globally as well. This was something the respondents could confirm as they both explained how nature-based tourism is Norrbotten is the main type of tourism. However, what is considered to be nature-based tourism can differ. From the previous literature combined with the collected data from the two interviews, it's possible to see a pattern between the different tourism categories. According to one of the respondents, tourists want to experience nature while still having a feeling of luxury. At the same time, the other respondent expresses how tourists desire to learn new things in order to gain personal development. In other words, people travel to Norrbotten in order to experience nature, but in the end, they will have experienced more than

just nature. Both interviewees mention the Icehotel and Treehotel as two main tourist attractions. Both destinations are in direct contact with nature and depend on nature, but in the end, it is more about offering a unique luxury experience.

Another gap in the knowledge the study has been able to contribute to, is the importance to offer high quality services and excellent hosting. This was clearly stated from the collected data from the two interviews, as both respondents truly emphasize how important it is for tourism in Norrbotten. It can be considered to be one of the main pillars. This finding was not something the previous literature brought up, and could therefore be considered to be a gap. As the respondent stated, excellent hosting is in many ways a crucial factor for people to revisit the destination. Therefore, is it important for decision-makers within tourism to be aware of the effect it has. This also falls in line with tourism destination image (TDI), as it has the power to both influence and rearrange a tourist’s perception of a destination (Shankar, 2019). By offering excellent hosting, an idea is that it will create a positive perception of the destination.

6.4 Implications for Management and Tourists Enterprises need to understand the importance of being adaptable for future changes within the tourism industry. By being prepared for a potential different future, the potential negative effect can be subdued. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies regarding overcrowding and how to travel sustainably. Today, overcrowding is more of a threat in theory than in practice, something that research indicates to be a future reality.

In the first interview the respondent talked about the principle of focusing on interests rather than segments. According to the respondent, this is the future of marketing within tourism. This could be something more enterprises could do to make sure they target the right people. Another implication for management is to make sure the destinations and attractions are unique.

6.5 Recommendations for Future Research This thesis focused on tourism in Norrbotten from the organization perspective. Mainly what is considered exclusive and how the chosen organizations work for future growth without risking overcrowding. Therefore, the tourist perspective was left out. Further research could cover the following: Ø Focus more on overcrowding and its negative effects. It would be interesting to see this from the tourist and local resident’s perspective. Another suggestion is to do a research from both the tourist/residents and the organizations perspective to gain a clear picture of the effects. Ø The thesis could benefit from having another focus, the tourists. This way the future questions that arose connected to travel might be answered. If the thesis would focus on the tourist perspective, the perspective of what is exclusive might vary from person to person since it is in the eyes of the beholder. Ø Another suggestion for future research is to conduct a quantitative research. This way, the authors could reach out to more people, hence using a probability sample technique. This way, the sample would be random and applicable with a better certainty.

6.6 Limitations Due to the ongoing pandemic covid-19, only two interviews were conducted. As the pandemic affected the tourism industry hard, it made it more difficult to collect data. If the thesis had been written under normal circumstances, the authors would have chosen to interview more organizations and companies as it would have been beneficial for this study. This could have created an opportunity to draw more conclusions and findings as the collected data would have been richer. Moreover, it would also have given the study a higher degree of external validity. Furthermore, it was a challenge to get useful information from one of the interviewee regarding overcrowding. This as a result of the topic being relatively new and have not been applied in practice yet. Hence, it was difficult for the interviewee to answer the question that was asked about overcrowding. Furthermore, this made it difficult to compare it to the answers the authors received from the other interview. In that matter, the question regarding overcrowding did not fully work out as expected.

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APPENDIX 1 – Interview Guide in English

How long have you been working at the company?

What are your main responsibilities?

How long have you been working in the tourism industry?

Can you briefly tell us about your company?

What type of tourist mostly visit Norrbotten? - Would you please tell us what you do to attract potential tourists?

When did you start to notice increased interest in visiting the Northern part of Sweden? - When did you decide to develop the market share of tourism in the north of Sweden? Why?

How would you describe tourism in Norrbotten? - In your point of view, what makes the destination exclusive? - What is considered to be the most important destination to visit in Norrbotten? - Would you please give some information about the different groups of tourists who visit Norrbotten?

Last year was a great year for tourism in Norrbotten. In this sense, can you please explain the key factors for increasing the number of tourists? - Were you able to see any patterns regarding which kind of tourism that attracted most people? - Is communication with the local community considered to be important for future growth? How do you work with local enterprises?

What problems have you identified as the destination continues to grow? - Do you have any strategy to prevent overcrowding? - Have you seen any pattern when/who overcrowding is an issue for? - Have your company worked on the design of the destination to reduce the risk of overcrowding?

APPENDIX 2 – Interview Guide in Swedish

Hur länge har du jobbat på företaget?

Vad är dina arbetsuppgifter?

Hur länge har du arbetat inom turism industrin?

Kan du berätta lite om vad ni gör på Swedish Lapland?

Vilket typ av turism skulle du säga växer mest/snabbast just nu? - Arbetar ni med skräddarsydda resor?

När började ni märka av det ökade intresset att besöka norra delarna av Sverige?

Hur skulle du beskriva turismen i Norrbotten? - Enligt dig, vad är det som gör att Norrbotten som destination uppfattas som exklusiv och tilltalande? - Vad är den mest populära destinationen att besöka i Norrbotten? - Kan ni se någon demografisk spridning bland turisterna? Är det många som reser långt för att ta sig hit?

Förra året var ett rekord år för turismen här uppe. Har ni kunnat identifiera några bakomliggande faktorer för detta? - Kunde ni se några mönster på vilken typ av turism som tilltalade mest turister? - Är kommunikationen mellan lokala aktörer viktiga för tillväxten i framtiden? Hur jobbar ni med lokala aktörer?

Har ni identifierat några hinder som destinationer ställs inför som en följd av den växande efterfrågan? - Har ni några strategier för att hantera overcrowding (en viktig faktor som vi läst påverkar destinationer i Norr). - Har ni sett några mönster angående vem och var overcrowding kan uppfattas som ett problem? - Har ert företag arbetat med utformningen/designen av destinationen för att förhindra risken för overcrowding?