FSD2331 Second Home Tourism in Finnish Lake District 2004
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Hiltunen, Mervi Johanna (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Kokki, Ruut (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Pitkänen, Kati (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Vepsäläinen, Mia (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Other Identification/Acknowlegements
Members of the JET Järvi-Suomi project's steering group
Representatives of the second home municipalities in the target area
Abstract
The survey charted the use and importance of second housing from the viewpoint of second home owners living in the Helsinki region. Second housing in Finland is a large phenomenon with deep historical and cultural roots, and it represents a significant part of domestic tourism. In this survey, the term "second home" refers to rural recreational residences (holiday homes) mainly used during weekends and holidays, especially during summertime. The key themes of the survey included travelling between and life at the first and second homes, and the use of second homes.
First, the respondents were asked to give some background information on their second homes, such as its location, size, standard of equipment, whether it suitable for winter habitation, and whether the respondents had purchased, inherited or built it. The distance between the second home and various services, such as town, grocery store, health centre and bus stop was queried. Travelling between the first and second homes was canvassed by asking the respondents to estimate the number of trips made to the second home and the number of days spent there for each month of the year. The distance to the second home, as well as the time spent and the means of transport used for travelling there were also examined. In addition, the respondents were asked whether they usually stop on the way to the second home and for what reason. The reason for travelling to the second home was also investigated.
Further questions pertained to the time spent at the second home. The respondents estimated whether they would like to spend more time there, how they were going to use the second home during the next 5-10 years, which factors prevented the respondents from spending more time there, and who would most likely own the second home after they no longer use it themselves. Some questions focused on remote work, and the respondents also told whether someone in their household commuted from the second home. They listed the advantages and disadvantages of the municipality in which their second home was located, and indicated whether they would be willing to use the municipal services (e.g. health services, social services, broadband Internet access) in that municipality, as well as whether they would be ready to pay for these services.
Life at the respondents' first and second homes was charted by asking them which municipalities were essentially connected to their or their spouses' childhood. They listed the advantages and disadvantages of living in the capital area as well as in a second home in a rural area. In addition, the respondents were presented with a list of words (e.g. haste, nature, family, freedom, Finnishness) which they had to associate with either of the aforementioned environments. They were also asked to close their eyes, think about life at their second home and tell about it. Finally, the respondents were asked whether they had responded to the survey by themselves or together with other family members. In addition, they were encouraged to write down thoughts and opinions aroused by the survey.
Background variables included the respondent's gender, household composition, number of household members, household gross income, and type and size of the first home. In addition, the respondent's and spouse's year of birth, education, employment type, and occupation were charted.
Keywords
Finnish Lake District; holidays; home area; housing; leisure time; leisure time activities; metropolitan areas; natural environment; neighbourhoods; second homes; telework; travel
Topic Classification
regional studies; rural research; sociology (FSD Topics Classification)
community, urban and rural life; housing; leisure, tourism and sport (CESSDA Topics Classification)
Restrictions
Variables connected to question 9 (i.e. the post code, municipality and village of the second home) have been removed from the data and substituted by variable bv4 indicating municipality because of data protection issues.
Access to the data granted for scientific and teaching purposes. FSD's access application procedure.
Data Collector
Hiltunen, Mervi Johanna (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Kokki, Ruut (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Pitkänen, Kati (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Vepsäläinen, Mia (University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development)
Data Producer
University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Centre for Continuing Education and Regional Development
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Collection Date
June 2004
Nation
Finland
Geographical Coverage
Finland, Finnish Lake District (Järvi-Suomi), Asikkala, Kuopio, Leppävirta, Liperi, Mikkeli, Mäntyharju, Taipalsaari, Vehmersalmi (Kuopio since 1st January 2005)
Analysis Unit
Individual
Household
Universe
Households in southern Finland owning a second home in one of the research municipalities in Finnish Lake District
Sampling Procedure
The target group of the survey consisted of households in southern Finland (in post code area 00-70) owning a second home in Finnish Lake District. In this survey, the term "Finnish Lake District" is used to refer to the eastern Finnish Lake District and the Päijänne region. The research municipalities are the largest ones accommodating second homes in the area, and the sample is regionally representative of the provinces in the Lake District. The Savonlinna region was excluded from the survey area because of a similar survey already carried out in the area.
The respondents were reached with the help of the Second Home Registry (kesäasukasrekisteri), the Land Registry (kiinteistörekisteri), and the Landowner Registry (maanomistusrekisteri). Random sampling was used to select respondents from the largest municipalities, the sample sizes being 400 for each municipality. In smaller municipalities, all second home owners belonging to the target group were included in the survey.
Altogether 2,553 questionnaires were sent. 143 of them were discarded because they had been returned empty or for other reasons. 1,096 second home owners responded.
Collection Mode
Postal survey
Research Instrument
Structured questionnaire
Response Rate
45.5%
Time Method
Cross-sectional study
Collection Size
Data: SPSS portable file. Data available also in other file formats.
Data version
1.0 (1.7.2008)
Other Material
Questionnaire: pdf file in Finnish
Citation Requirement
The source must be acknowledged in any publication based wholly or in part on the data. The bibliographic citation may be in the form required by the publication, or in the form suggested by the archive.
Bibliographical Citation
Hiltunen, Mervi Johanna & Kokki, Ruut & Pitkänen, Kati & Vepsäläinen, Mia: Second Housing in Finnish Lake District 2004 [computer file]. FSD2331, version 1.0 (2008-07-01). Tampere: Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor], 2008.
Depositing Requirements
The archive must be informed of all publications where the data have been used.
Disclaimer
The depositor and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the secondary use of the data.
Related Publications
Hiltunen, M. J. (2007). Environmental Impacts of Rural Second Home Tourism - Case Lake District in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 7(3), 243-265.
Pitkänen, K. (2005). Järvi-Suomen kaupunkilaiset kakkosasujat [verkkodokumentti]. Saatavissa: http://mot.joensuu.fi/sivut/tutkimus/vapaa-ajan-asuminen/jaervi-suomen-kaupunkilaiset-kakkosasujat.html [viitattu 11.7.2008]
Pitkänen, K. (2008). Second Home Landscape. The Meaning(s) of Landscape for Second Home Tourism in Finland. Tourism Geographies 10(2), 169-192.
Pitkänen, Kati & Kokki, Ruut (2005). Mennäänkö mökille? Näkökulmia pääkaupunkiseutulaisten mökkeilyyn Järvi-Suomessa. Savonlinna: Savonlinnan koulutus- ja kehittämiskeskuksen julkaisuja; 11.
