Changes in Visitor Demand: Inter-year Comparisons of Swedish Hikers' Characteristics, Preferences and Experiences

Abstract

The focus of this study is a comparison over time between two visitor surveys (1980 and 2003) conducted in northern Sweden. The aim is to analyze possible changes and similarities over time in what attracts hikers to visit protected areas and if the type of visitor has changed. Since comparisons over time are rare in tourism and outdoor recreation research, this paper contributes to valuable empirical insights. Long-term data on tourism and recreation is essential to assess visitor experiences and visitor impacts on the resource, and for nature conservation management. The results reveal several variables that have been stable over time. However, many changes have also occurred. For the visitors, it has become more important with adventure and perils, services, marked hiking trails and accessibility, and the average age among the hikers has become higher and they have reduced their length of stay. In the second study, the hikers also accepted infrastructure to a greater extent. The paper discusses possible implications of the changes found.

Keywords:

• Outdoor recreation
• nature-based tourism
• attractiveness
• service
• protected area
• longitudinal research
• Northern Sweden

Acknowledgements

The insightful comments made by Peter Fredman, Annika Dahlberg, Lars Nyberg and Rosemarie Ankre are sincerely appreciated. Valuable comments from colleagues at the European Tourism Research Institute (ETOUR) have helped to develop the paper.