348
A. Oxenswärdh
two strongest motives for opening their BnB were: meeting different people from
around the world and live a different, better, more sustainable life. The findings are
in line with recent research. Schaper and Calsen (2004) as well as Tzschentke et al.
(2008b), for instance, point out in their research that personal values and beliefs are
crucial in small hospitality firms for the implementation of sustainable initiatives
and measures. For instance, one of the owners wanted to live a more sustainable and
less stressed life, whereas another, after decades of living in a crowded city, needed
to find a good place where he could live a safe and stable life and realize all his
long-term sustainable plans. All participants in this study have one characteristic in
common: before they started their BnB, they all spent time either abroad or in other
parts of Sweden either for work (9 out of 10) or for study and work. During this
period, participants have acquired skills and knowledge that are necessary to run
a BnB: language skills, a different perspective on their own and/or other cultures,
travelling and staying at similar establishments etc. Two of the ten informants are
foreigners who have lived abroad for many years, speak several languages, and bring
their own working experiences to their venture.
One of the owners, who just started his home-based BnB just outside Visby, would
like to use his knowledge and long-term experience in the marketing sector to develop
the market of rural BnB on the island:
We need to understand the market in Sweden. I have the statistics, but what to do with it? I
don’t get it. Why don’t BnB here do like in other countries? Joint marketing, for example.
Charter flights that can go from the UK to Gotland or from Germany or maybe long-weekend
packages for the winter?
A lady runs her BnB in her family home in the countryside. She has been working
in the design industry for many years. She has the experience, the knowledge, the
contacts and wishes for better branding for the accommodation sector in Gotland. A
couple run a campground/farm with a diversified set of accommodations, from BnB
to cottages and offer a wide range of activities for their guests year-round. Another
lady tells that they are doing fine financially, even though the work is never-ending
because they do everything themselves. It is not easy, particularly because their main
goal with their establishment is to be sustainable: they have their own solar panel
system and produce their own power, they have their own recycle centre, their own
rules for serving food, as to optimize distribution and reduce waste. The couple has
been educating themselves on sustainable strategies and solutions for years, attending
courses on the island and on the mainland, collaborating with Uppsala University and
Region Gotland. They share their knowledge with locals, islanders, the university,
they are even on documentaries.
In order to achieve their goals, their cultural capital (Bourdieu 1986) appears
to be one of their most valuable assets. These lifestyle entrepreneurs bring to the
table a diverse range of awareness, motivation, knowledge, and skills that have the
potential to develop a more sustainable rural accommodation on the island. Sharing
and connecting with their guests seem to be one of the main motives for opening a
BnB. These cultural encounters are part of alternative forms of tourism that privilege
the authenticity of the encounter and of the experience, where visitors, and in this
A. Oxenswärdh
two strongest motives for opening their BnB were: meeting different people from
around the world and live a different, better, more sustainable life. The findings are
in line with recent research. Schaper and Calsen (2004) as well as Tzschentke et al.
(2008b), for instance, point out in their research that personal values and beliefs are
crucial in small hospitality firms for the implementation of sustainable initiatives
and measures. For instance, one of the owners wanted to live a more sustainable and
less stressed life, whereas another, after decades of living in a crowded city, needed
to find a good place where he could live a safe and stable life and realize all his
long-term sustainable plans. All participants in this study have one characteristic in
common: before they started their BnB, they all spent time either abroad or in other
parts of Sweden either for work (9 out of 10) or for study and work. During this
period, participants have acquired skills and knowledge that are necessary to run
a BnB: language skills, a different perspective on their own and/or other cultures,
travelling and staying at similar establishments etc. Two of the ten informants are
foreigners who have lived abroad for many years, speak several languages, and bring
their own working experiences to their venture.
One of the owners, who just started his home-based BnB just outside Visby, would
like to use his knowledge and long-term experience in the marketing sector to develop
the market of rural BnB on the island:
We need to understand the market in Sweden. I have the statistics, but what to do with it? I
don’t get it. Why don’t BnB here do like in other countries? Joint marketing, for example.
Charter flights that can go from the UK to Gotland or from Germany or maybe long-weekend
packages for the winter?
A lady runs her BnB in her family home in the countryside. She has been working
in the design industry for many years. She has the experience, the knowledge, the
contacts and wishes for better branding for the accommodation sector in Gotland. A
couple run a campground/farm with a diversified set of accommodations, from BnB
to cottages and offer a wide range of activities for their guests year-round. Another
lady tells that they are doing fine financially, even though the work is never-ending
because they do everything themselves. It is not easy, particularly because their main
goal with their establishment is to be sustainable: they have their own solar panel
system and produce their own power, they have their own recycle centre, their own
rules for serving food, as to optimize distribution and reduce waste. The couple has
been educating themselves on sustainable strategies and solutions for years, attending
courses on the island and on the mainland, collaborating with Uppsala University and
Region Gotland. They share their knowledge with locals, islanders, the university,
they are even on documentaries.
In order to achieve their goals, their cultural capital (Bourdieu 1986) appears
to be one of their most valuable assets. These lifestyle entrepreneurs bring to the
table a diverse range of awareness, motivation, knowledge, and skills that have the
potential to develop a more sustainable rural accommodation on the island. Sharing
and connecting with their guests seem to be one of the main motives for opening a
BnB. These cultural encounters are part of alternative forms of tourism that privilege
the authenticity of the encounter and of the experience, where visitors, and in this