Promoting sustainable holiday homes Tourism is an important part of the economy in Trøndelag and Jämtland, and there is pressure to provide more houses for visitors, yet at the same time it’s important to protect the natural beauty of these two regions. Erik Melin, Margrete Vognild Blokhus and the Source project team are working to identify and promote sustainable practices in the provision and development of holiday homes. The
neighbouring regions of Trøndelag in Norway and Jämtland in Sweden attract a lot of tourists, and holiday homes have been developed across both areas to cater for the needs of visitors. The two regions are both fairly sparsely populated, and the tourism industry is an important part of the local economy, yet development must not come at the cost of the natural beauty which is central to their appeal, an issue of concern to both local residents and visitors. “There is a concern that holiday homes are taking up too much land in these areas and destroying nature,” says Erik Melin, a project manager at Mid-Sweden University. While many visitors come for skiing in the mountainous border area between Trøndelag and Jämtland, Melin says the two regions are increasingly becoming year-round destinations. “Winter skiing opportunities attract a lot of visitors, but summertime activities are also increasing, with lots of people coming for hiking and mountain biking,” he outlines. “A lot of businesses are working to promote leisure tourism in these two regions, highlighting sporting and recreational activities during Summer.”
SOURCE project Many people want their own cabin or house in these regions so they can pursue these activities, heightening the pressure on local infrastructure. There is a balance to strike here between meeting the needs of the tourism industry and protecting nature, an issue at the heart of Melin’s work as leader of the EU-backed SOURCE project, which brings together eight different partners in
cabins and houses should be put it in locations where the nature value is relatively low.” A prime candidate here are the so-called ‘grey’ zones, those areas in which nature has already been significantly degraded, such as old quarries and gravel pits. In one part of the project, researchers are looking into building cabins in these kinds of degraded areas, and whether this can be combined with efforts to restore nature. “With the investment coming
“Most houses in Trøndelag and Jämtland are built with wood, which is something we would like to promote and encourage, as there is a lot of it in the local area, but it can be used in more efficient and smarter ways.” Norway and Sweden.“In the project we are looking at a number of questions, such as whether we really need to build new homes, or if we could use existing ones more efficiently? If we do need to build new homes, in what areas should they be built and how large should they be?” he asks. “It’s important to think about the topography of the surrounding area when considering where a cabin or house should be built, and what would need to be removed. Ideally new
in, you can restore nature and have a positive impact in these areas,” says Melin. Researchers are also considering the spacing of holiday houses; the ideal scenario from a sustainability perspective is to avoid building in pristine areas, a message that Melin is keen to promote. “Cutting down trees or disrupting a hillside to develop cabins can have a very negative effect on nature and wildlife, contributing to erosion and increasing flood risk,” he stresses. “Even developing a single cabin can increase stress, as
Quarries at the island Stokkøya illustrate a so called ‘grey’ zones, areas in which nature has already been significantly degraded. In this location holiday homes are now planned. Photo credit Next Hero
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