Vesterålen needs visitor management

Whale watching, among other things, attracts tourists to Vesterålen. Photo: Marten Bril / Visit Vesterålen

Vesterålen is also starting to feel increasing tourist pressure. Together with Nordland Research Institute The region has focused on visitor management to stay ahead of the challenges.

The neighboring region of Lofoten has long been a tourist magnet. Now there are many indications that tourists are seriously discovering Vesterålen. 

– There is already an increase in tourism, but the region expects even stronger growth in the years ahead, says Karin Marie Antonsen, senior researcher at Nordland Research Institute . 

Together with colleague Anna Sveinsdóttir, she has prepared the report "Sustainable visitor management in Vesterålen" . Here, the researchers present findings from the pilot project "Capacity building for sustainable visitor management in Vesterålen", a collaboration between Nordland Research Institute , Andøy Municipality, Vesterålen Council and Visit Vesterålen. 

– Several processes in Vesterålen indicate that tourism will increase further. The attraction The Whale is on its way, Andøya Space is attracting people, there will be more flights to the area and more hotels, summarizes Antonsen. 

– There is a need to manage and control tourism in a sustainable way, taking into account both nature and local communities.

A number of challenges

Vesterålen is not yet equipped for increased tourist flows. The region already has several typical tourist-related challenges, such as parking, increased pressure on the road network, waste management and wild camping.

“Municipalities struggle with financial constraints and capacity challenges. They are responsible for both owning and maintaining infrastructure that facilitates the right of way and is a common good,” Sveinsdóttir points out. 

The tourism industry consists mostly of small businesses, which are not always able to handle large tourist crowds. 

– In addition, there is wear and tear on the nature. Vesterålen Turlag reports a large increase in use of their cabin system and some cabins, such as Trollfjordhytta, are extremely popular, says Sveinsdóttir. 

Since the hiking team is largely based on volunteer work, capacity problems quickly arise that undermine the spirit of volunteerism.

– Vesterålen Turlag does not want to become a tourism player. It is a voluntary organization, intended as a local outdoor recreation service. 

The solution is visitor management

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Vesterålen wants to focus on tourism. 

– Tourism is extremely important for local social development, economy and employment. It creates new opportunities for vibrant local communities and helps increase the desire to live and stay, says Antonsen.

The answer therefore lies in good visitor management, which is about developing strategies and using different tools to manage the use of a destination. 

– The goal of visitor management is to protect natural and cultural values, while ensuring good experiences for visitors, increasing value creation for the local community and taking into account other industries in the area, says Antonsen.

– We recommend that visitor management be integrated to a greater extent into municipal planning in the Vesterål municipalities. There is a need for stronger coordination between municipalities and between municipalities and tourism stakeholders, she says.

Recommends division of responsibilities

In addition, there is a need to clarify who is responsible for various visitor management measures and resources must be provided to finance the various measures.

– The measures must be of such a nature that they both protect nature and the local population, and at the same time facilitate tourism development, says Sveinsdóttir.

The pilot project recommends, among other things, that a regional destination management be established with strategic responsibility, as well as local visitor management groups in each municipality with operational responsibility. 

– These groups will be able to develop visitor strategies and action plans, which will be important for the municipalities to obtain any visitor contributions, says Sveinsdóttir. 

New law on visitor allowances

In June, the Storting passed a new law on so-called "visitor contribution". This is a tax that municipalities can impose on accommodation or cruise activities. The purpose is to help finance tourism-related public goods in areas with a particularly high burden from tourism. Accommodation at campsites is not included in the law. 

– How the visitor contribution law will affect Vesterålen is currently uncertain, says Antonsen. 

The tax is voluntary for municipalities to introduce and must be adopted in regulations by the municipal council. Municipalities that wish to introduce an accommodation tax must prepare a plan for the use of the revenues, including a description of the tourism industry in the municipality and the challenges associated with many visitors. The municipalities must also consider cooperation with other municipalities in the destination on the scheme. 

– The conditions for introducing a visitor fee in a municipality must be documented and approved by the ministry before the fee can come into effect, says Antonsen.