Luleå takes a comprehensive approach to sustainable destination development

Visit Luleå has initiated work on a destination plan to enable sustainable growth as a destination. When representatives from the municipality, businesses, and visitor attractions gathered to discuss the path forward, the Arctic Sweden Visitors Board contributed with a regional perspective. According to process leader Jeppe Klockareson, Luleå could become a pioneer in Sweden if the analysis is now translated into a shared plan.

On September 3, Visit Luleå gathered staff from several departments of Luleå Municipality, along with businesses and representatives of visitor attractions, for a dialogue forum on sustainable destination development. The aim was to build a shared understanding of the current situation and initiate discussions on how Luleå can develop as a destination in a way that creates value for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

To inform this work, Visit Luleå commissioned a destination analysis. The analysis will serve as the foundation for a destination plan charting a shared direction for ongoing development.

“Not all development is automatically good development. That is why we want to start by asking what makes Luleå uniquely Luleå, what we want to protect, and how we can develop the place without losing what makes it special. The hospitality sector can contribute far more than visitors and revenue. Through the destination plan, we want to explore together with those who live, work, and run businesses here how long-term value can be unlocked for the area and the people living here, while simultaneously developing the sector,” says Camilla Bondareva, Head of Unit at Visit Luleå.

Luleå’s role as a hub for Sweden’s Arctic destinations

Arctic Sweden Visitors Board CEO Annika Fredriksson and Market Development Manager Niklas Wede were invited to share insights on the development of the hospitality sector across the region and Luleå’s role in a broader context.

A key part of the presentation focused on Luleå’s potential to become a clearer hub for Norrbotten. With Luleå Airport and its position as a regional nexus, the city can serve both as a destination in its own right and as a natural starting point for visitors looking to explore more of Norrbotten.

The rationale was based on the fact that destination development and community development go hand in hand. A broader selection of restaurants, cafés, culture, activities, and experiences, combined with well-functioning transport connections, gives visitors more reasons to stay. At the same time, it helps make Luleå a more vibrant, attractive, and accessible place for those who live and work here. Simultaneously, development needs to build upon nature, cultural heritage, and local identity.

A strong foundation, but a need for shared direction

The destination analysis was carried out by Jeppe Klockareson, founder and CEO of Fair Travel. He brings extensive experience in sustainable and responsible destination development, both nationally and internationally.

Klockareson emphasized that the analysis should not be seen as a scorecard on how well Luleå performs as a destination. Instead, it should guide strategic decisions moving forward.

The analysis shows that Luleå possesses strong assets and solid developmental momentum. There is nature, culture, urban environments, a distinct local identity, established businesses, and many committed stakeholders. At the same time, several key development initiatives are moving forward in parallel, sometimes with differing mandates and timelines.

What primarily needs strengthening is therefore the overall picture. The main recommendation of the analysis is not to launch additional stand-alone projects or create another organization. Instead, what is needed is a clearer framework for coordination, accountability, prioritization, and follow-up among the stakeholders already involved in developing the destination.

The report’s nine priority actions were presented across three overarching areas: building a shared foundation and direction, embedding this direction into standard planning processes, and establishing the capacity to execute, monitor, learn, and communicate. These components must progress in parallel so that the plan can be utilized even as the work evolves.

Potential to become a pioneer in Sweden

Klockareson noted that Luleå has the opportunity to become a pioneer by not stopping at the completed analysis, but instead advancing it through a broad-based process to establish a genuinely collaborative destination plan.

“You might even be the first in Sweden to take this approach. That is something to be proud of,” remarked Jeppe Klockareson.

A core starting point is that destination development should primarily help create a better place for those who already live and work in Luleå. If an initiative enhances quality of life, operates within the carrying capacity of the local area, respects climate and resources, and generates lasting local value, it will also foster a more sustainable and attractive destination.

“If we create a better place to live, thrive, and work, it will also be a better place to visit,” Jeppe Klockareson added.

Many interrelated priorities need coordination

During the final segment of the dialogue forum, participants discussed which issues are most critical to align, where closer collaboration is needed, and which stakeholders must contribute to the ongoing process.

Discussions covered broad topics such as urban and community planning, accessibility, transport, local pride, and sense of place. Transport and parking were highlighted as tangible examples of issues that may need to be integrated earlier into planning, rather than addressed only after an initiative is already well underway.

The discussions underscored the broad scope of destination development and illustrated why these challenges cannot be managed by a single department or entity alone. They require coordination across various municipal functions, in partnership with the business community, civil society, and other local stakeholders.

Three perspectives will shape the plan

Work will continue throughout the autumn with three dialogue forums tailored to different groups. The first brings together civil society, associations, and local stakeholders around local values, participation, and community benefits. This will be followed by a dialogue forum with the business community and the hospitality sector, and another with the public sector and relevant municipal departments.

The dialogue forums are designed to offer three complementary perspectives on the same central question: what shared direction should Luleå choose? The intention is for the destination plan to subsequently achieve political consensus and be submitted for formal approval after the new year.

“For us at Arctic Sweden Visitors Board, the work in Luleå holds significance well beyond municipal boundaries. Many municipalities across Norrbotten face similar questions about how the development of the hospitality sector can be aligned with residents’ daily lives, destination capacity, and long-term societal development,” says Niklas Wede.

By moving from an analytical assessment to a collaboratively developed plan, Luleå demonstrates how destination development can become an integral part of standard regional development work—and an area where more stakeholders can learn from one another.