Museums – A Catalyst for Sustainable Economic Development in Sweden

Museums have a great impact on the cultural economy of every country and museums have a very significant meaning for social integration within socio-cultural and socio-economic contexts. Studies have shown that the impact of museums may vary from one city to another, and from one country to another, at local, regional or national level. The role of museums in the cultural economy is very important, because they sustain cities in promoting themselves as cultural center‟s in the domestic and regional market by fulfilling their demands and expectations of visitors and investors. One can say that museums act as “the instruments” for cities in the regeneration process. Over time, it was considered that museums were created with the purpose of education, collecting, preservation and research, but because society evolved, the economic role of museums became increasingly important. Consequently, the role of museums has become more diverse in the 21st century, and they become key partners in the heritage and culture tourism industry and the creative and innovative industries as well. This paper seeks to explore the impact of museums on regional development in sustainable way. The Authors argue that museums have a multiplier effects on regional development and become an important tool for regional economie