The number of commercial fishermen in Sweden has been steadily declining for decades. As a result, the local fishing industry has completely or partly closed down in parts of the country. At the same time, there is a clear political will to support local fisheries, especially small-scale fisheries that deliver freshly caught fish to local harbours on a daily basis. One argument for supporting local fisheries is that open fishing harbours promote tourism and vibrant coastal communities.

The aim of the project is to empirically investigate if there is a connection between open fishing harbours and the number of tourist nights in Swedish municipalities. The project follows the development of the local fishery and tourism in all coastal municipalities to examine if open harbours have a positive impact on tourism.

The project will finish in autumn 2018.