Saknade och oönskade turister - Lokalbefolkningens inställning till turism i en pandemi

Abstract

Tourism impacts the places where it occurs, as well as the local population in these places. Hence, it’s important to involve the local population in the planning of tourism and tourism development. The level of involvement is reflected in the local population’s experience of, and attitudes towards tourism. The World Heritage site in Visby attracts a large number of tourists each year and is an important source of revenue for the entire Gotland region. Earlier studies show that Gotland’s local population generally exhibits a positive attitude towards this tourism. However, knowledge is lacking concerning differences in attitudes among different segments of this population. The object of this study is to examine if there is a geographical pattern in the attitudes toward tourism in the local population on Gotland, as well as to examine if the attitudes have changed since the outbreak of covid-19, which threatens the upcoming peak season for tourism on the island. The results confirm the generally positive attitudes shown in previous studied. Furthermore this study shows that there are no differences in attitudes between those segments of the population living within, near or far from the Visby Heritage Site. Since the outbreak of covid-19, however, some respondents state that they have changed their attitudes: some are now more positive, while others say they now have a more negative attitude towards tourism.