To develop the Grimeton World Heritage Site into an export-ready, internationally known and appreciated visitor destination, the work needs to be sustainable, long-term, and strategic. In the project, it is therefore of great importance to collaborate with target groups consisting of both public and private actors with an interest in destination development in the area and for World Heritage issues in general. The project is based on various activities and processes where workshops, meetings, and environmental scanning result in necessary documentation and implementation proposals for the Grimeton World Heritage Site to be developed and, in the long term, used without being depleted. To achieve the project’s purpose, Grimeton Radio Station needs to move from: 1) an isolated island in the countryside to an asset for the tourism industry in West Sweden, 2) merely engaging to actually involving different actors, 3) short-term to long-term thinking, and 4) uncertain project finances to sustainable economic conditions. The project is formulated to analyze and solve these problems, which creates positive effects for all involved. Ultimately, it’s about developing, using, and preserving Grimeton Radio Station so that future generations can also experience the site.
The project is financed by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth with co-financing from Varberg Municipality and Sparbanksstiftelsen Varberg. The project runs during the period 220401-230331
Read more Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth
September 27, 2022
The project is currently implementing Guide 1 in the “Handbook for Sustainable Tourism Development in World Heritage Sites and Cultural Environments”, which involves an in-depth analysis assessing the conditions for sustainable site development. UNESCO’s “Visitor Management, Assessment Strategy Tool” (VMAST) is being used, which is a measurement tool for sustainability work in World Heritage sites, examining the site’s environmental, social cultural, economic, and organizational impact. The tool identifies priority areas for improvement and creates conditions for long-term follow-up. In parallel, the project conducts interviews and workshops with actors from the public, private, and civil sectors to get an outside perspective, which is one of the most important prerequisites for sustainable site development. The result of the comprehensive analysis then becomes the subject of a SWOT analysis, clearly identifying weaknesses, opportunities, strengths, and threats for future development work. The analysis provides the basis for Guide 2, which is about developing a strategy. This is also done together with a wide range of actors.
March 30, 2023
A working group has been appointed, with representatives from the managing organizations, to develop a strategy for sustainable site development in the World Heritage site through the tourism industry. The strategy is based on the results of the analysis in Guide 1 and describes the shared vision moving forward. The development of the strategy has consisted of workshops, discussions, and a study visit to the Suomenlinna World Heritage site in Helsinki, where there is experience in working with UNESCO’s toolkit for sustainable tourism development (the predecessor to the handbook). The strategy describes the vision, mission, and goals of the work, as well as several collaboration areas that align with the handbook’s guides. These are then broken down into collaborative activities for long-term work ahead. The idea is that the strategy should be anchored in both the region and municipality, and be revised and updated every four years.
After the Project
May 12, 2023
The strategy Sustainable Site Development World Heritage Grimeton 2023–2030 was adopted on this day by the managers. With this, the Grimeton World Heritage Site and its managers now have a shared vision of what and how the site will become A World Heritage site with global reach and an obvious and living asset for those who visit, live, and work in Halland. This thus completed Guide 2 in the handbook.
Autumn 2023
Based on guidelines in Guide 3, work on clearer role distribution has begun, primarily internally in each management organization tasked with investigating how to effectively realize the strategy to benefit all parties. The Grimeton World Heritage Site is exploring the possibility of expanding visitor capacity through a renovated and expanded visitor center, as part of the work with Guide 6 on developing the site’s infrastructure.
Winter 2024
At an initial meeting with the local community, as per Guide 4, the strategy and the process behind it were presented.
