Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur skiddestinationsaktörer arbetar strategiskt hållbart i omställningen till året runt-destination. För att uppfylla syftet ämnar uppsatsen besvara frågor kring omvandlingsprocessen som behandlar möjligheter och utmaningar för en destination samt aktörers hantering av kommersiella kontra miljömässiga intressen. Uppsatsen bygger på en fallstudie där vi använde oss av Branäs skidanläggning som case. Studien har en metodologisk röd tråd där vi utifrån studiens problemställning har följt en tematisk modell där tre teoretiska teman; destinationsutveckling, planering och hållbar turismutveckling, varit vägledande genom hela studien, och således även utgjort studiens teoretiska ramverk. Studien genomfördes via fyra kvalitativa intervjuer med berörda nyckelaktörer för Branäs utveckling, samt dokumentanalys av ett planeringsdokument i form av en fördjupad översiktsplan för Branäsområdets utveckling. Det empiriska materialet har tematiskt analyserats för att identifiera mönster, skillnader och likheter i aktörernas svar som sedan ställts i relation till teori i studiens analyskapitel. I analysen har vi tagit avstamp i vårt teoretiska ramverk där vårt empiriska resultat diskuteras i relation till tidigare forskning för att därefter i slutsatserna besvara våra frågeställningar, som bygger på studiens tematiska modell. Studiens slutsatser indikerar att det finns såväl möjligheter som utmaningar i samband med säsongsbetonade destinationers omställningsprocess och hur olika intressen hanteras. Studien visar att en säsongsförlängning inte automatiskt leder till ökad hållbarhet. Trots att säsongsförlängningen kan ha stora fördelar ur ett ekonomiskt, socialt och miljömässigt perspektiv, så kan det även bidra med utmaningar och konsekvenser för miljön. Utmaningarna ligger främst i att beakta och balansera olika miljömässiga och kommersiella intressen. Utvecklingsprocessen kan samtidigt resultera i att en spänning mellan kommersiella och miljömässiga och intressen uppstår. Denna spänning måste hanteras tidigt i planeringsprocessen via dialog och samverkan mellan olika aktörer. Samtidigt spelar lagstiftning, vilket ibland upplevs som ett hinder i utvecklingsprocessen, en viktig roll för att balansera olika intressen och främja miljömässig hållbarhet. / The purpose of this paper is to investigate how ski destination stakeholders’ work strategically sustainable in the transition to a year-round destination. To fulfill the purpose, the paper aims to answer questions about the transformation process that address opportunities and challenges for a destination and stakeholders’ handling of commercial versus environmental interests. The paper is based on a case study where we used Branäs ski resort as a case. The study has a methodological common thread where we, based on the study's problem, have followed a thematic model where three theoretical themes; destination development, planning and sustainable tourism development, have been guiding throughout the study, and thus also constituted the study's theoretical framework. The study was conducted through four qualitative interviews with key actors involved in the development of Branäs, and document analysis of a planning document of the Branäs area. The empirical material has been analyzed thematically to identify patterns, differences and similarities in the actors' responses, which were then placed in relation to theory in the study's analysis chapter. The analysis has been based on our theoretical framework where our empirical results are discussed in relation to previous research. In the conclusions we answer our questions, which are based on the study's thematic model. The study's conclusions indicate that there are both opportunities and challenges in connection with the transition process of seasonal destinations and how different interests are managed. The study shows that extending the season does not automatically lead to increased sustainability. Although seasonal extension can have great benefits from an economic, social and environmental perspective, it can also contribute to challenges and consequences for the environment. The challenges lie mainly in considering and balancing different environmental and commercial interests. At the same time, the development process may result in a tension between these interests. This tension needs to be addressed early in the planning process through dialogue and collaboration between different stakeholders. At the same time, legislation, which is sometimes perceived as an obstacle in the development process, plays an important role in balancing different interests and promoting environmental sustainability.

Denna studie undersöker hur ett samarbete mellan turismaktörer kan påverka turismens framtid i ett mindre samhälle. Området som studien utgått ifrån är Snäcke kanal, som är en del utav Dalslands kanal. Mängden tidigare forskning som belyser samarbeten generellt är relativ. Även forskning kring hur ideella samarbeten kan påverka samt kring samarbeten knutet till vattenvägsturism (river tourism) saknas. Syftet med studien blir därmed är att ta reda på hur det så kallade Snäckesamarbetet kan påverka turismens framtid i dess närområde fram tills 2020. Studien bygger på en analys kopplat till tidigare forskning, teori samt kvalitativa intervjuer som genomförts med vissa av områdets aktuella turismaktörer. Slutsatsen tar upp vikten av ett samarbete för att en utveckling ska ske, samt redogörs förbättringar som kan lyfta Snäckesamarbetets värde. Det framkommer också att potentialen för att påverka framtiden, för enskilda turismaktörer, ökar betydligt genom att delta i ett samarbete. / This study investigates how cooperation between tourism operators can influence the future of tourism in a small society. The study is concentrated to Snäcke canal, which is a part of Dalsland Canal in Sweden. Generally, the amount of previous research about cooperation is relative. Research on how nonprofit cooperation can influence, as well on cooperation related to river tourism, is missing. The purpose of the study is to discover how the so-called Snäckecooperation may affect the future of tourism in its area until 2020. The study is based on an analysis linked to previous research, theory, and qualitative interviews conducted with some of the area’s current tourism operators. The conclusion reveals the importance of cooperation for development to take place, and outlines improvements, which can increase the value of the Snäckecooperation. It was also found, for individual tourism operators, the potential to influence the future increases significantly by participating in cooperation.

This thesis presents a research of Swedes view on sex tourism in Thailand. This research is showing how Swedes sees sex tourism in Thailand and what kind of thoughts they have about it. This research also shows the Swedish view on sex tourism in Thailand and how it differs from the view of the Swedish media and their opinion about the subject. Furthermore, this research shows that the view of this subject differs depending on the respondents’ experience of travelling in Thailand. It becomes more important to study this subject with increasingly numbers of Swedes travelling to Thailand and more people find a partner in the country. This has led to a growing minority of Thai people in Sweden, which has to live with the prejudices of the Swedes. That is why it is so important to show what this prejudices are and why they exist. This topic is rather hard to study because of the sensitivity of the subject as well as people’s fixed opinions regarding this subject. It is easy to make politics of the subject because of these strong opinions, but we have tried to stay away from these already fixed opinions and instead tried to observe other peoples fixed opinions and how these fixed opinions effecting Thai women living in Sweden. It is important to understand how people’s prejudices affect the view of a country especially when it comes to tourism development.

ABSTRACT The cost of doing nothing would be very high on the fragile national ecosystems andultimately on the society of the Seychelles. ’Seychelles National Report 2012 p55 This Minor Field Study, undertaken as a Bachelor’s thesis, aims to research the Seychelleswork with sustainable tourism development and its challenges. The study was conducted onsite for two months in cooperation with the Seychelles Tourism Board. The national strategyfor sustainable tourism development is intended to maintain the uniqueness of Seychelles.Seychelles has for over 30 years been a global leader in protecting biodiversity and naturalenvironment and 51 % of the total land area consists of conservation areas. On the otherhand, Seychelles main source of income is tourism, with 40 % of the inhabitants directly orindirectly depending on tourism. As one of our interviewees put it: “the more tourism, themerrier”. The country will get better infrastructure and more jobs because of it and howcould that spoil the environment? This study looks into hotels perceptions of sustainabledevelopment in the tourism industry, their work with sustainable practices and thoughtsconcerning ecolabelling. Results show dissatisfaction with the government and that betterenvironmental governance is needed. The recent rapid development of new hotels isbecoming a rather problematic situation due to higher competition, infrastructural problemsand lack of labour force. The interest in an eco label is high, although they believe it iscomplicated to implement and is perceived as expensive. On the other hand, hotels are moreor less working in a sustainable way already.Regardless of the sustainable tourism development initiative, our interviewees had afear that Seychelles is becoming a mass tourism destination. They demand that this trend bestopped. We ask therefore, is more really merrier?

The typical tourism planning and development process can be divided into different phases: preparation (goals and objectives), research, conclusions, recommendations, implementation, monitoring & evaluation. This thesis is a part of such a development process and position itself in the research phase with the aim to create a knowledge base for future sustainable development of tourism in the world heritage city of Gjirokastra in the southern part of Albania. To create the socio-environmental map of the thesis, the authors lived two months in Gjirokastra, and with a holistic approach collected, compiled and analyzed an immense amount of data. Thus this thesis is only providing the first piece in the puzzle of the bigger project: to create a sustainable tourism development plan for the city of Gjirokastra.  Gjirokastra has special conditions for tourism since it is a World Heritage site, elected in 2005 for its rare type of Ottoman stone houses which the old bazaar/old town is dominated by. The management of a World Heritage site is both a national and a global concern involving many stakeholders exhibiting different desires and requests. World heritage management and tourism destination aspirations are only two of many other issues facing the city of Gjirokastra and the nation of Albania. Like many other post-communist countries Albania is struggling between a fast economic development and the restraints of preserving heritage: modernization vs. tradition. In Gjirokastra this is evident through the city’s division in a new and old town – each fighting for attention and resources.  The results of the thesis contains information on the tourism resources of Gjirokastra; this is described in chapters of supply research and culture-, economy- and natural resources. The current status and potential of each has been described and analyzed, data being collected through participant observation, analyzing written material and through interviews with visitors, local businesses and stakeholders.  The result describes a city facing many problems due to lack of laws and regulations creating a variety of issues both in nature, culture and economy: poverty, “brain-leakage” through migration, waste, water and pollution, unemployment, poor stakeholder collaboration, abandoned houses and traditions, bureaucracy, corruption, management issue, a lack of tourism activities and information, poor marketing and poor tourism services. Tourism development is identified as an important tool for problem solution and societal development by the stakeholders, however the municipality’s actions are focused on the citizens and by catering to them it is considered that tourists will also benefit. This approach results in interest conflicts between the stakeholders where the municipality is focusing on improving the new town and the cultural organizations on the old town. Even though many elaborate tourism strategies already exists amongst the different stakeholders no one has so far been successfully implemented due to unclear responsibilities, action time frame issues and a lack of funds. Since there is no budget for tourism the different strategies turns into wish-lists from which money is sought. The result is a few successful short term projects funded by various different European organizations. The problem of restoring houses is also the following revitalization of them. The citizens of Gjirokastra want a modern life which the old houses cannot under the world heritage regulation provide. Here is where tourism is considered to be the solution – creating an attractive living and business area that will revitalize the old town. As of now the world heritage suffers from not having a management plan, the old houses are stuck in after-communism-legal issues in many cases then abandoned or modernized. There is no waste management in Gjirokastra and the effects of this is not being researched. The observation and interview result shows that there are multiple environmental problems that now accumulate, in this study the tourist satisfaction was affected by the waste appearance. Without laws and restrictions on tourism, heritage and environment it is easy to turn the eyes away from carrying capacity and focus on short term solutions.  Tourism is in the meanwhile driven by private local entrepreneurship and innovation but without strategies, regulations or market research an imbalance in the tourism system is evident in the market and supply match. A bench marketing tradition or “copy & pasting” has so far resulted in restaurants, hotels, cafes and souvenir shops selling indistinguishable products and only a few other activities than sightseeing are being offered. In the visitor surveys from time to time it is apparent that tourists think Gjirokastra has great potential but the city’s problems are surfacing and affecting the level of satisfaction.   There is thus a pressing need for collaboration between the different stakeholders to create one sustainable tourism development plan, to define roles and responsibilities and action implementation. The natural and cultural resources and its potentials for tourism are huge but without these regulatory bodies tourism impacts might be irreversible negative. It is in this moment of time, before goals are decided upon, ideal that ideas of sustainability, in this case meaning that the environment’s, culture’s and economy’s interests are also taken in account and incorporated to shape the development process. This is highlighted throughout the thesis.