Finnish second homes - from father to son? Finnish second home phenomenon in the 21st century

Second homes, or summer cottages, are widely spread all over Finland. It is estimated that half of the country´s population have an access to one or several second homes. The phenomenon constitutes a remarkable part of how Finns spend their leisure time. Whereas traditional way of life attracts middle aged and retired urban dwellers to return to their roots, increasing number of second home users has no roots in the countryside to return to. Therefore, it has been estimated that the extent and meaning of second home phenomenon will diminish in time once generational change in cottage users take place. This master thesis aims at increasing understanding of the Finnish second home phenomenon. In order to do that, a qualitative research was carried out including twenty-one interviews and three participant observations, results of which were then analysed. Based on the findings of the empirical data, it can be concluded that the Finnish second home phenomenon is alive and well in the 21st century. Interviewees of different ages considered second homes significant as the Finnish way of life. However, some indications of differing perceptions amongst respondents were visible in the study, and some predictions of the future of the phenomenon could be made. The most significant of these would be that the future cottage users seem less willing to compromise trips abroad in favour of cottage holidays, as the earlier generations may have done