I am Professor of Human Geography with interest in tourism and regional development. Previously, I have served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of research (2016-2025) at Umeå University.
I am Professor of Human Geography with interest in tourism and regional development. I completed my doctoral degree at Umeå University 1999 and have served as Dean for the Faculty of Social Science (2011-2016) and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of research (2016-2025).
Research:
My research interest is in tourism and regional development, mobility and tourism in peripheral areas. My research specialises in almost all aspects of second homes and second-home mobility, Sami tourism, nature tourism, the tourism industry, regional development and rural change in particular in northern, peripheral areas and in the polar regions. A list of publications and bibliometric information is available on .
I am currently PI for the following research projects:
Biography:
I have been chair of the International Geographical Union Commission Tourism, Leisure and Global Change (2012-2020) and am a member of the International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN). In addition, I have been chair of the boards of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University (Arcum), the Industrial Doctoral School for Research and Innovation, the Umeå School of Sport Sciences, and the Umeå University Library (UB). In 2009, I was appointed as a young, promising researcher at Umeå University. In 2018, I received the Roy Wolfe Award from the American Association of Geographers for outstanding contributions to tourism geography. During my chairmainship the IGU-Commission Geography of Tourism, Leisure and Global Change received the IGU Commissions Excellence Award (2018). I received even the Alan A. Lew Book Award for The Routledge Handbook of Tourism Geographies (co-edited with Julie Wilson) presented by the American Association of Geographers Recreation, Tourism and Sport Specialty Group in collaboration with the journal Tourism Geographies (2025). In 2023, I was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Class of Geosciences.
In addition to my academic assignments, I have been a board member of the Foundation for the Promotion of Knowledge in Tourism, which is responsible for appointing the winner of the Swedish Tourist Award, as well as a member of the advisory scientific committee for the Rural Network. I have also been a member of the scientific council for the Hospitality Industry Research and Development Fund (BFUF).
I am one of the editors for Geographies of Tourism and Global Change, a book series published by Springer.
I participate in the editorial board of the following journals:
Academic qualifications:
Professor of Human Geography (2007)
Docent (2004)
Doctoral degree (1999)
Managment assignments:
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Umeå University (2016–)
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå University (2011–2016)