Sustainable city development by tourism over cross-sectoral industries: A case study in central Sweden

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to study how sustainable development occurs in a smaller Swedish city through tourism. This study was designed as a qualitative single case study of a smaller city (Östersund) situated in the northern part of central Sweden. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with regional destination management organisations (DMOs), infrastructure managers, and real estate managers for shopping areas, as well as growth and development managers for the municipality and business entrepreneurs. Data were also collected from secondary sources such as the internet and publications. The results of the study show that different stakeholders play various roles in sustainable development for Östersund. Such development is highly dependent on tourism, mainly summer tourism and events. The famous events have been important in building the brand of the city, and tourists know the area because of them. The conclusions are that sustainable city development needs stakeholders who collaborate or even cooperate across sectors, and particularly those who see their potential cross-sectorally. It is not just the tourism industry that contributes to tourism development; shopping and creative business entrepreneurs are vital for the city as well. Sustainable development is also important not just for the tourists but also for the inhabitants of the city. The inhabitants’ pride and satisfaction in their city and their word-of-mouth recommendations are the key drivers for the brand of the city, which contributes to its sustainable development.