Young Adult Transition in a Tourism Dominated Rural Area

Abstract

Rural peripheral areas generally have an ageing and declining population, few possibilities for education, limited labour market opportunities, and a net loss of young adults. However, some peripheral rural areas hosting large-scale tourism industry has faced a different development. But despite the fact that the loss of young adults is important for the development of these areas, the adult transition in a tourism context has not been so well addressed. In this paper the adult transition in Sälen, a large-scale winter tourism destination, is explored. The analysis is based on life history interviews with focus on how young adults experience the ability to make a living (year-round) in the tourism-dominated area. The way in which they perceive their current and possible future life in Sälen is important when they make decisions about how and where to shape their futures. The findings imply that the flows of people passing through Sälen, as tourists and young seasonal workers, are important both socially and economically for the young adult inhabitants, which in turn contributes to a more secure adult transition and to Sälen's attractiveness among young adults.