The Reluctant Tourist? An exploration of second home owners' perceptions of their impacts on North Cornwall, UK

This study investigates second home owners’ perceptions of the impacts of second home ownership. Although the impacts of second home ownership have attracted some scholarly interest, to date the perceptions of second home owners themselves have been conspicuous by their absence. In-depth interviews were conducted with owners of second homes in the tourist region of North Cornwall.Findings demonstrated general acknowledgement of impacts, both positive and negative, although the positive economic contribution of second home ownership was placed to the fore. Factors that affected perceptions included degree of second home use, degree of place attachment, location, length of ownership and visitation behaviour. An emergent typology is also presented classifying second home owners as Inheritors, Investors, or Enjoyers. The study thereby provides a starting-point for further research in this largely neglected, and yet growing, area of tourism