Thomas Blom

My research can be said to rest on two pillars, with the common thread being issues related to local and regional development.

One research track concerns educational issues from a local and regional development perspective. Here, I study development-related challenges with a particular focus on knowledge and skills. A central part of this research concerns young people’s varying propensity to pursue higher education and the factors that influence their educational choices.

The second research track focuses on tourism and the hospitality industry. In this area, I examine, among other things, how various niches within the hospitality industry are developing to attract visitors, as well as how identity and place can be used as resources for local and regional development. Some of the niches I have identified and conceptualized include symbolic tourism, morbid tourism, mythic tourism, sacred tourism, and tactile tourism. In addition, gastronomic tourism is an important area of my research.

Teaches in the fields of human geography, geography, and tourism studies at all levels and is superadvisor to doctoral students.

• Member of the The Swedish Academy of Culinary Arts and Meal Sciences  2021–
• President of The Swedish Academy of Culinary Arts and Meal Sciences  2024–
• Member of the Fika Academy’s Expert Council 2025–

Blom, T. & Karlsson, S. (2026). Innovation in Sparse Environments: The Geographical Innovation Dilemma of The Swedish Food Industry. In European Countryside. Vol. 18, Nr 2. Mendel University in Brno. https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2026-0015

Blom, T. & Karlsson, S. (2026) Kultur- och fritidsvanor i skilda geografiska miljöer – en fråga om stad och land? I Värmland i orostider: Ett politiskt landskap i förändring. Norell, P.O., Granberg, M., Kjellström, F. (red.) SOM-institutet vid Göteborgs universitet. Tryck: Karlstads universitet, Karlstad.

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2026) Place Inclusion/Exclusion in Overtourism. In Hoppstadius, F., Tesfahuney, M., & Åkerlund, U. (Eds.). (2026). Tourism and Place Design: Designing Places to Live, Operate and Visit (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003620174

Blom, T. (2026) Gastronomic Mobility and Place Design: The Role of Appetisers in Tourism. In Hoppstadius, F., Tesfahuney, M., & Åkerlund, U. (Eds.). (2026). Tourism and Place Design: Designing Places to Live, Operate and Visit (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003620174

Blom, T. (2024) The Swedish Fika culture as a touristic experience and value-creating resource. In International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. Volym 37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.101008

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2024) Dödens platser och deras attraktionsvärde. I Ymer 2024 (vol. 144) Dödens geografi.

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2024) Geographical Discrepancies in Higher Education in Sweden. In Rural and Regional Development, 2(1), SCIEPublish.

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2023) Tactile Tourism: Tourist Attractions to Touch. In Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 71 No. 3, 2023.

Blom, T. & Karlsson, S. (2022) Varumärkesgeografi – en marknadsnisch mellan trender och traditioner inom livsmedelsbranschen. I Geografiska Notiser nr 4.

Blom, T. (2022) Tastescape – geografiska smakupplevelser med platsidentitet. I Geografiska Notiser nr 1, 2022.

Nilsson, P. A. & Blom, T. (2022) Emerging Destinations for New Generations of Swedish Students Studying Abroad. In Glass, C. R. & Bista, K. (eds.) Reimagining Mobility in Higher Education.  For The Future Generations of International Students. STAR Scholar Book Series. OJED. Journal of International Students. Springer Nature Switzerland

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2021) Båstnäs car graveyard : A place that seems to live in its own “time and space bubble”. In European Journal of Tourism Research 27, 2702.

Nilsson, P. A. & Blom, T. (2020) Swedes Studying Abroad – as Tourists? World Journal of Education. Vol. 10, No. 5, pp. 98-107.

Nilsson, M. & Blom, T. (2018) Finisterre: Being and becoming a myth-related tourist destination. Leisure Studies, Taylor & Francis Group.

Blom, T. (2017) Falks grav – en morbid och mytrelaterad turismupplevelse i tiden. I Geografiska Notiser nr 3, 2017.

Blom, T., Nilsson, M. &  Santos Solla, X. (2016) The way to Santiago beyond Santiago. Fisterra and the pilgrimage’s post-secular meaning. European Journal of Tourism Research 12, pp. 133-146

Blom, T., Nilsson, M. &  Santos Solla, X. (2008) Pilgrimage or Sacred Tourism? - A Modern Phenomenon with Historical Roots, with Examples from Fatima and Santiago de Compostela. In Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento , No 9. DEGEI- Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal.

Blom, T. (2007) Morbid Tourism - with special focus on Althorp. In Long, P. & Palmer, N. J. (eds.) Royal Tourism: Excursions around Monarchy. Clevedon: Channel View Publications.

Blom, T. & Braunerhielm, L. (2007) Från ståltid till måltid -en destinations födelse. I Nordisk Samhällsgeografisk Tidskrift. Nr 43

Blom, T. (2003) The Geographies of the Senses – Tourism Products with Regional and Local Identity. In Edwards, J. S .A & Gustafsson, I-B. (Eds.) Culinary Arts and Sciences IV. Global and National Perpectives. Workshipful Company of Cooks Research Centre, Bournemouth University. England.

Blom, T. & Nilsson, M. (2003) Local Environments and Identities as Tourism Products from a Sustainability Perspective.  In Xosé M. Santos Solla (Ed.) La Geografía y la guestión del turisimo. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela publicacións.

Blom, T. (2000) Morbid tourism - a postmodern market niche with an example from Althorp. In Norwegian Journal of Geography. Sid. 29-36. Vol. 54, No. 1, March 2000.

Blom, T. (1996) Perspektiv på kunskap och utveckling. Om attityder till högskoleutbildning i några perifera regioner. Meddelanden från Göteborgs universitets geografiska institutioner. Serie B Nr 89. Göteborg. (Doktorsavhandling). Även utgiven vid Högskolan i Karlstad i serien Forskningsrapport Samhällsvetenskap, nr 96:3. Karlstad.