Svalbard 1

Sustainable tourism in Svalbard – a Balancing Act

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This project will increase our knowledge of how the local tourism industry can create new opportunities as they respond to the ongoing transformative changes of Svalbard’s society and environment and contribute to the development of the analytical concepts of transformation and adaptation. 
 

Survey: Tourism on Svalbard - How does it affect your life?

To be sustainable, future tourism on Svalbard needs to pay attention to the environment, the needs and concerns of the local community, as well as support local business development. An important part of defining the action space for tourism is having sound and adequate knowledge about local attitudes toward tourism.The results of this survey will be used in shaping future tourism in Svalbard.Your opinions are important, and we hope you will take the time to contribute your views and experiences.

PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY

READ MORE ABOUT THE SURVEY

 

The project is a collaboration between two key Svalbard tourism operators - Arctic Expedition Cruise Operator and Visit Svalbard - and research institutions Nordland Research Institute, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Western Norway Research Institute, Vetani, Sweden, Brown University, USA. 

Arctic tourism is growing rapidly and is often seen as an economic opportunity. However, the directions of future development cannot be taken for granted as the growth takes place in the context of changing geopolitical conditions, growing global interest in the economic potential of the Arctic, and increasing environmental concerns, especially linked to climate change. Svalbard tourism illustrates many of the circumpolar challenges related to tourism and this project aims to provide knowledge of how the local tourism industry can create new opportunities as they respond to the ongoing transformative changes of Svalbard’s society and environment. 

Project lead
Time period
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Project staff
Researcher II, part-time post
Researcher II, part-time post
Research assistant
Janne Søreide
Professor UNIS
Bjørn Kaltenborn
Seniorforsker NINA
Halvor Dannevig
Forskningsleder Vestlandsforskning