Nordic Coastal Tourism – Sustainability, Trends, Practices, and Opportunities

The coastline along the Nordic countries are as impressive as they are different. From towering fjords in Norway, to vast untouched white beaches in Denmark, to the rugged and almost otherworldly volcanic landscapes of Iceland. It is no wonder they are the most visited areas in the Nordics, with coastal and nature-based tourism accounting for 72% of the market share (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2019).  There has been rapid growth in tourism in the Nordic countries in the past decade, which has brought both opportunities and headaches for tourists, tourism actors, governments, investors and residents.

This book, the first of its kind, will delve into the many facets surrounding Nordic Coastal Tourism. Topics such as (but not limited to): sustainability, lifelong education in the sector, destination stewardship, cruise tourism, overtourism, climate change, post COVID-19 business models, food and gastronomy, health tourism, resilient coastal communities, destination development with coopetition and design thinking, and hostmanship. Book will be from a truly Nordic perspective with cases from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, as well as integrated Baltic cases from Poland and Lithuania.

• See: Project Resumé
• Relevance for EASV: Sustainability is an omnipresent challenge for our society, students and companies. This project will directly contribute to our knowledge strategy, and also UN Development Goals.
• Tourism is a huge growth engine in Denmark, and this book will help contribute to our largest sector of tourism – coastal tourism.
• The book will be not only helpful to practitioners and academics, but also to students – at all levels, from AP to PhD. The value is geared towards tourism, service and experience economy students.
• The knowledge gained will be of value to the tourism industry, who will gain knowledge on coastal tourism (with a focus on the Nordics) – what are the key trends, practices and opportunities that we can learn from.

1. Project Planning and book approval at publisher: Spring semester 2023
2. Authors write book chapters: Fall Semester 2023
3. Review process for author book chapters: Spring semester 2024
4. Revise book chapters by authors: Spring semester 2024
5. Editors write introductory and conclusion chapters: Fall semester 2023 – Spring Semester 2024
6. Book submission/publication: Fall semester 2024
7. Dissemination activities: Spring semester 2025

There will be 18+ chapters in this book, with incredibly varied methodological approaches and research strategies across the quantitative and qualitative spectrums. In addition, conceptual chapters are also present, truly reflecting the diverse methodologies utilized in tourism academia.