Formas is therefore now planning a call for proposals that will give a number of research collaborations the opportunity to be further developed over four years.

– How the dynamic development of the tourism and hospitality industry relates to the Agenda 2030 work and the national environmental goals is an important issue. Research can contribute to developing solutions to ensure the sustainable development of the industry. It is about synergies but also conflicts between different goals and sectors of society, says Markku Rummukainen, General Secretary at Formas.

The issues within this theme exist at both societal and corporate levels and have many sustainability aspects. For example, they may concern digitalization, rural development, protection of natural environments, social sustainability, what creates attractiveness, how different sectors interact and how actors collaborate.

The tourism and hospitality industry touches and influences areas of society such as food, forestry, reindeer herding, fishing, urban planning, land and water use, infrastructure, construction, digitalization, biodiversity, culture and the relationship between different places and areas, locally and nationally. The tourism and hospitality industry is also a very important employer, especially for women, newcomers and young people. This breadth can create both synergies and conflicts between the industry's development and goals in other sectors of society.

In recent years, the tourism industry in Sweden has had a turnover of just over SEK 270 billion per year.

Formas' call for research on sustainable tourism and the hospitality industry includes SEK 60 million for research projects of up to SEK 5 million per year for four years.