A student’s belonging in the tourist town : A case study of university students’ place belonging and community in the tourist destination Visby, Gotland

Abstract: Tourism is a worldwide phenomenon and an important industry. In recent years, however, questions have arisen surrounding whether tourism can be harmful to destinations when exceeding their capacities. Visby is a medieval seaside town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Gotland, a Swedish island. With 900 000 annual visitors, Visby is one of the most visited destinations in the country, and tourism is an important part of the island’s economy. With the heavy flow of tourists and second homeowners in Visby, especially during summer season, signs and effects of overtourism have become prevalent. Locals in Visby are struggling with housing issues, large seasonal pressure, et cetera, affecting their livelihoods and community. One of the root causes is believed to be unsustainable tourism patterns. This thesis looks at how overtourism could affect residents’ sense of place belonging and community. Local university students at Campus Gotland were chosen as the focus group and were asked about their views on their place belonging and community in relation to consequences brought by tourism via a survey. The results show indications that tourism-related seasonal differences and housing issues may be affecting the students’ sense of place belonging and community negatively.