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

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