A New Approach to Spatial-Temporal Development of Second Homes: Case Study from Iceland

In northern Europe, the interest in rural tourism is widely connected with the phenomenon of second homes as a private place to relax and spend holidays. This paper describes second home development in Iceland with the aim of assessing and analysing changes in spatial patterns. Furthermore, based on the data analysis, a new model of second home distribution development, describing the emergence of existing patterns with regard to both mobility and urbanization processes is being proposed. The results reveal that despite the relatively late start of the second home development in comparison with the Scandinavian countries, second home tourism in Iceland has grown to a significant size. The spatial distribution of second homes in Iceland reflects the country's specific physical, demographic and historical conditions. Common factors generating the need for second homes such as pollution, noise and high levels of stress seem not to be the major catalyst for second home development in Iceland, since a high occurrence of second home ownership can be observed in both smaller towns and rural areas. However, similar to other countries, the largest second home areas have developed a relatively short distance from the country's major cities.