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ABSTRACT
This on-site study investigated local leisure travellers’ and domestic tourists’ motivations for taking summer trips along the High Coast of Sweden, a byway designated with brown signage as a national tourism route, responding to a dearth of research on why people are motivated to use scenic byways. Non-local Swedish leisure travellers at selected locations along the byway were asked to fill in self-completion questionnaires and hand them back to the project staff. The most emphasised motivations for taking this trip were “getting away from everyday life”, “beautiful view from the road”, and “interesting landscape”. Based on factor analysis, three motivational patterns were identified: (1) sightseeing and outdoor life; (2) getting away and travelling around; and (3) a quick route to family and friends. The route attracted a large proportion of local and regional repeaters with ties to the area through family and friends and/or second homes; only 18% were on their first visit. There were considerable motivational differences between those people who were going to a second home in the area and other visitors. Among travellers who did not visit a second home, there were few motivational differences between day-trippers and persons with overnight stay(s), corroborating blurred distinctions between excursionists and tourists. The large proportions of local and regional visitors indicated that extra-regional route promotion may be improved.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Berit Grue and Thea S. Skogheim for data adaptation and other assistance, and Örnsköldsvik and Kramfors municipalities for providing photographs from the study area.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.