Previous research has shown that different forms of migration in general, and tourism-related international migration in particular, could act as potential drivers for various forms of rural transformations. This paper investigates self-employment in tourism among foreign-born people in rural Sweden. The questions addressed in this paper are: What is the magnitude of self-employment, and what types of business do in-migrants run, in rural areas? A discussion on the extent to which in-migrants to rural areas contribute to rural restructuring through self-employment in tourism follows. The results are analyzed by drawing on theories connected to restructuring and ideas of the "new economy". The longitudinal, individual and geo-referenced database ASTRID with official Swedish register data is used to identify foreign-born people self-employed in tourism in Sweden. Selfemployment is more common for in-migrants coming from culturally proximate Western countries, followed by Asia and the Middle East. The length of time in Sweden plays a significant role in the incidence of self-employment in tourism, with restaurants dominating as the type of establishment. It can be discussed how much restaurants help invigorate the economy of rural areas, and how much they contribute to rural change and transformation in qualitative terms.

The return and the growth of large carnivore populations and especially the wolf population have caused a fierce public debate between advocates and opponents. In this debate the tourist perspective has been overshadowed by other interests, mostly by farmers and hunters, disregarded by the research and mostly promoted by environmental movement. Even if the tourism perspective has played a nearly non-existing role in the public debate it has become a much more important perspective due to growth in segments of eco- and nature-based tourism as a tool for rural development and nature conservation. Previous research on attitudes towards large carnivores has systematically focused on public attitudes and attitudes among interests, negatively touched by these animals. The purpose of this article is to analyze the attitudes towards large carnivores and carnivore tourism among tourism entrepreneurs in the county of Varmland, Sweden. The main objective is to scrutinize the relationship between the entrepreneur's attitudes toward large carnivores and their attitudes towards and opinion about the potential for large carnivores as resource for tourism. The empirical data is based on survey responses from 134 entrepreneurs in spring 2004. Among other findings, the results suggest that we have to take place attachment and other place dependent aspects into account to fully understand how tourism entrepreneurs, who best represent the tourism perspective, and their attitudes affect their perceived potential for large carnivores as resources for tourism.

La réintroduction et l'essor des populations de grands carnivores, en particulier le loup, font l'objet d'une vive controverse entre opposants et partisans. Au sein de ce débat, certains intérêts, notamment ceux des agriculteurs et des chasseurs, ont pris le pas sur l'aspect touristique, qui a donné lieu à peu d'études. Le mouvement écologiste a pratiquement été le seul à promouvoir cette perspective touristique. Bien que la question touristique ait été pratiquement absente du débat public dans un premier temps, elle a commencé à prendre de l'importance avec l'expansion de l'écotourisme et du tourisme vert en tant que moyen de développement rural et de conservation de la nature. Les études menées sur les différentes positions relatives aux grands carnivores ont systématiquement mis l'accent sur les points de vue du grand public et des personnes ayant une opinion négative de ces animaux. Le présent article vise à analyser les points de vue de professionnels du tourisme du comté de Vârmland, en Suède, sur les grands carnivores et sur le tourisme axé autour de ces carnivores. L'objectif principal est d'étudier la relation entre la position des professionnels du tourisme en matière de grands carnivores et leur opinion sur ceux-ci en tant que ressource touristique potentielle. Les données empiriques sont le fruit d'une enquête menée auprès de 134 professionnels du tourisme au printemps 2004. Entre autres résultats, les données semblent indiquer qu'il convient de tenir compte des facteurs d'attachement géographique et autres facteurs dépendant du lieu géographique. En effet, ces facteurs ont une incidence sur l'opinion des professionnels du tourisme, qui représentent le mieux le secteur touristique, relative aux grands carnivores comme ressource touristique potentielle.