Second Homes and Regional Population Distribution: On Administrative Practices and Failures in Sweden - article ; n°2 ; vol.21, pg 251-261

Dieter K.Müller, C. C.Michaelhall

Description

Espace, populations, sociétés - Année 2003 - Volume 21 - Numéro 2 - Pages 251-261
The increased capacity of households to allocate their time in several places as a result of both the growth of new flexible forms of work and a more mobile retirement lifestyle has contributed to a renewed interest in second homeownership all over the industrialized world. This has been of particular benefit to rural areas where the consumption of second home households contributes to rural business. However, the often long-lasting visits to second homes raises question as to whether second homes are, in reality, first homes in terms of the owners' relationship to place. The answer to this question is of considerable importance due to the nexus between regional population figures, taxation and public transfers. Considered as tourists, the second homeowners are, however, not registered in the host community thereby leaving municipalities with increased costs for service supply, but without benefits from public transfers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the hidden seasonal population patterns caused by second home tourism and to estimate their impact on the demographic and economic structure of rural areas. A unique geographical database covering all second homes in Sweden is used to illustrate this issue. Drawing on the example of Sweden it is demonstrated that current administrative practices in population statistics place rural municipalities at a financial disadvantage.
Résidences secondaires et répartition régionale de la population : des pratiques administratives et de leurs échecs en Suède.
Dans l'ensemble du monde industrialisé, suite au développement de formes flexibles de travail et à l'émergence de modes de vie plus mobiles chez les retraités, les ménages disposent d'une capacité croissante à répartir leur temps entre plusieurs lieux distincts, ce qui a renouvelé leur intérêt pour l'acquisition de résidences secondaires. Cet attrait renouvelé a particulièrement bénéficié aux zones rurales où la consommation des ménages de seconds résidents contribue aux activités économiques locales. Toutefois, le séjour, souvent long, dans les résidences secondaires amène à se demander si, en définitive, celles-ci ne sont pas des premières résidences, du moins sous l'angle de la relation que les propriétaires entretiennent avec elles. En raison du lien existant entre le volume de la population régionale, le niveau d'imposition et les transferts publics, la réponse à pareille question est cruciale. En effet, en tant que touristes, les propriétaires de résidences secondaires ne sont pas enregistrés dans la municipalité hôte comme résidents : leur présence impose des coûts croissants pour la collectivité locale en matière d'offre de services mais sans bénéfice via les transferts publics. L'objet du présent article est de mettre en évidence la distribution spatiale de la population saisonnière et d'estimer son impact sur les structures démographiques et économiques des zones rurales. Une base de données géographiques originale, couvrant l'ensemble des résidences secondaires en Suède, est mobilisée pour examiner cette question. À partir de l'exemple de la Suède, il est démontré que les pratiques administratives actuelles désavantagent les municipalités rurales sur le plan financier.
11 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: ESPACE-_POPULATIONS-_SOCIETES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2003
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Dieter K. Müller
C. Michael Hall
Second Homes and Regional Population Distribution: On
Administrative Practices and Failures in Sweden
In: Espace, populations, sociétés, 2003-2. Tourisme et dynamiques démographiques. pp. 251-261.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Müller Dieter K., Hall C. Michael. Second Homes and Regional Population Distribution: On Administrative Practices and Failures
in Sweden . In: Espace, populations, sociétés, 2003-2. Tourisme et dynamiques démographiques. pp. 251-261.
doi : 10.3406/espos.2003.2079
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/espos_0755-7809_2003_num_21_2_2079Abstract
The increased capacity of households to allocate their time in several places as a result of both the
growth of new flexible forms of work and a more mobile retirement lifestyle has contributed to a renewed
interest in second homeownership all over the industrialized world. This has been of particular benefit to
rural areas where the consumption of second home households contributes to rural business. However,
the often long-lasting visits to second homes raises question as to whether second homes are, in reality,
first homes in terms of the owners' relationship to place. The answer to this question is of considerable
importance due to the nexus between regional population figures, taxation and public transfers.
Considered as tourists, the second homeowners are, however, not registered in the host community
thereby leaving municipalities with increased costs for service supply, but without benefits from public
transfers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the hidden seasonal population patterns
caused by second home tourism and to estimate their impact on the demographic and economic
structure of rural areas. A unique geographical database covering all second homes in Sweden is used
to illustrate this issue. Drawing on the example of Sweden it is demonstrated that current administrative
practices in population statistics place rural municipalities at a financial disadvantage.
Résumé
Résidences secondaires et répartition régionale de la population : des pratiques administratives et de
leurs échecs en Suède.
Dans l'ensemble du monde industrialisé, suite au développement de formes flexibles de travail et à
l'émergence de modes de vie plus mobiles chez les retraités, les ménages disposent d'une capacité
croissante à répartir leur temps entre plusieurs lieux distincts, ce qui a renouvelé leur intérêt pour
l'acquisition de résidences secondaires. Cet attrait renouvelé a particulièrement bénéficié aux zones
rurales où la consommation des ménages de seconds résidents contribue aux activités économiques
locales. Toutefois, le séjour, souvent long, dans les résidences secondaires amène à se demander si,
en définitive, celles-ci ne sont pas des premières résidences, du moins sous l'angle de la relation que
les propriétaires entretiennent avec elles. En raison du lien existant entre le volume de la population
régionale, le niveau d'imposition et les transferts publics, la réponse à pareille question est cruciale. En
effet, en tant que touristes, les propriétaires de résidences secondaires ne sont pas enregistrés dans la
municipalité hôte comme résidents : leur présence impose des coûts croissants pour la collectivité
locale en matière d'offre de services mais sans bénéfice via les transferts publics. L'objet du présent
article est de mettre en évidence la distribution spatiale de la population saisonnière et d'estimer son
impact sur les structures démographiques et économiques des zones rurales. Une base de données
géographiques originale, couvrant l'ensemble des résidences secondaires en Suède, est mobilisée pour
examiner cette question. À partir de l'exemple de la Suède, il est démontré que les pratiques
administratives actuelles désavantagent les municipalités rurales sur le plan financier.AI IO\S. SOC
Department of Social and Economie Geography Dieter K. MULLER
Umeâ University
SE-901 87 Umeâ
Suède
dieter.muller@ geography.umu. se
Department of Tourism, C. Michael HALL
School of Business
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin
Nouvelle-Zélande
[e-mail]
Second Homes and Regional
Population Distribution:
On Administrative Practices
and Failures in Sweden
1. TOURISM AND MIGRATION
Tourism and migration are usually treated as 'residential tourists', Flognfeldt (2002) talks
different forms of mobility categorized and about 'semi-permanent migrants', Pacione
delimited by space and time. However, this (1984) characterizes second home tourism
distinction between migration and tourism as 'seasonal suburbanization', while in an
has recently been challenged due to their earlier landmark study Wolfe (1967, 1982)
obvious interrelationships, for instance, even described second home recreational
travel, as the 'new migration'. In the French expressed by the increasing popularity of
context the term 'rurbanisation' comprised retirement migration and second home tou
the interest in rural second homes (Berger & rism (Dehoorne, 2002; King et al, 2000;
Williams & Hall, 2000, 2002). Fruit 1980). Miiller (1999) also shows that
some Germans in fact stay that long in their An important form of temporary mobility is Swedish second homes that they should be represented by second home tourism that registered as migrants, at least if administratitself can be considered one intersection of ive rules are employed properly. tourism and migration. This position is
Although there is no common terminology apparent in the competing terminology used
to characterize the phenomenon of second and a considerable variety of definitions, it
home tourism. Cohen (1974) labeled is a common feature that second homeown
homeowners 'marginal tourists' ers also have access to a primary residence indicating
their lack of novelty regarding their tourism where they spend the majority of their time.
behavior. Casado-Diaz (1999) uses the term Although Williams and Kaltenborn (1999) 252
question this perception and argues that the issues such as local democracy, economic
second home could be considered the first transfers and public spending that are depen
dent on local population figures. home, because it is often used during a lon
ger time period and passed on through gener Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to
ations. Moreover, due to various consumpt identify the hidden seasonal population pat
ion and production driven reasons, an terns caused by second home tourism and to
increasing number of people are involved in estimate their impact on the demographic
patterns of residential circulation rather than and economic situation of rural areas. The
living at one place as part of their normal paper draws on the example of Sweden and
lives, which therefore contests the concept asks whether administrative practices in
population statistics place rural municipalitof a primary residence. Similarly, Muller
ies at a disadvantage. (2002) argues that the distinction between
second homes and primary residences is The paper begins with an overview regarding
highly artificial and mainly applied due to the impacts of second home tourism and then
administrative practices, which force proceeds to identify second home tourism's
homeowners to decide on the designation of impact on the regional population distribu
a main residence. Consequently, by neglec tion. Finally, data from a unique geographical
ting the second home issue such administrat database covering all second homes in
ive practices exert a powerful influence on Sweden is used to illustrate this issue.
2. IMPACTS OF SECOND HOME TOURISM
Recently, the rejuvenated interest in second rural communities as relatively passive vic
homes within the industrialized world has tims of impacts of urban change. From this
entailed a fresh reconsideration of the effects perspective planning is compelled to conser
of second home tourism (Bourrât, 2000). For ve the state of the countryside. In contrast,
recent research argues that second home example, Gallent and Twedwr- Jones (2000)
have argued with respect to second home tourism itself is an expression as well as an
development in the UK that planning should agent of rural change (Muller, 1999). Hence,
planning should aim to maximize the positibe utilized for restricting second home deve
lopment. Second home ownership is some ve impacts of second home tourism and faci
times considered unjust therefore contribu litate adaptation to the changes caused by it
instead of trying to prevent development. ting to community debate and irritation
(Shucksmith, 1983; Weber, 1982). This is particularly so because the opposite
Particularly outside of the Nordic countries scenario, i.e. conservation of the countryside
many second homeowners tend to be upper in its current state, may instead lead to rural
economic classes entailing a c