Second homes during corona - safe or unsafe haven and for whom? Reflections from researchers around the world

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly slowed down, reduced, and changed the flows of tourism mobilities.While many national borders have been closed and/or regulated, the main emphasis has been on domestic travelling and tourism.Second homes are a major form of domestic tourism in many countries, especially the Nordic countries, Southern Europe, Russia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand where a significant proportion of people have access to a second home, often located in rural areas.Soon after the outbreak of the pandemic and the closure of schools, offices, shops, and restaurants, people started to flee to their second homes in search for a safer and more meaningful place for isolation.The city dwellers' rural exodus, and the role of second homes during the pandemic, appeared on the public agenda in many countries.The purpose of second homes as a place for recreation quickly changed into serving the function of pandemic shelters.Whereas the cottage, mökki, stuga, or dacha usually attract public attention on the pages of lifestyle magazines or idyllic summery reports of country living, this time second homes suddenly appeared in the official statements of governments and ministers, and on the front pages of newspapers.Recommendations to visit, or not to visit, second homes were set against questions about the health risk second homes may pose and who has the right to be in rural areas.

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