Issues in arctic tourism

Abstract

Arctic tourism has recently experienced considerable growth. However, it is not a single form of tourism; different physical preconditions, but also not least varying socio-economic, institutional and geopolitical preconditions, imply that Arctic tourism has to be seen in the context of its setting in marginal regions. This chapter aims to provide an overview of recent Arctic tourism and tourism research, and reports mainly from a research project conducted in Northern Sweden, the Nenets region in Russia and Canada’s Yukon. It is argued that, along with some differences, there are also common traits in recent development. Tourism is most often seen as an opportunity, but weaknesses in institutional arrangements appear to hinder development. Moreover, increasing competition for land use and climate change are forcing tourism providers to adapt to quickly changing conditions, even affecting their businesses. It is concluded that there is a struggle for development in the North, but a vision of what development is desirable and how this should be achieved varies across Arctic nations as well as within them.