What do we talk about when we talk about sustainability? Conceptualising sustainable tourism in post-pandemic Greenland
Background of the study: Tourism is Greenland’s second largest industry, after fishing. The COVID-19 pandemic is particularly devastating for Greenland because, as international tourism arrivals have fallen to zero, domestic tourism is not a sustainable option. The high cost of travelling within Gre...
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| Format: | Conference Object |
| Language: | English |
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ZPID (Leibniz Institute for Psychology)
2020
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/3981 https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4401 |
| Summary: | Background of the study: Tourism is Greenland’s second largest industry, after fishing. The COVID-19 pandemic is particularly devastating for Greenland because, as international tourism arrivals have fallen to zero, domestic tourism is not a sustainable option. The high cost of travelling within Greenland, coupled with the nation’s income inequality, means that the majority of Greenlanders simply cannot afford to holiday in their own country. As a result, it is economically essential that the international tourism industry can return in 2021. As the only form of tourism in Greenland that relies 100% on international tourists, the cruise industry is suffering in particular. In order that cruise ships can return to Greenland and the industry can survive, it is necessary to rebuild a cruise tourism industry that is not only more sustainable but is convincingly responsive to current events. This paper represents the first step towards a more sustainable ‘new normal’ of cruise tourism in Greenland. Purpose of the study: Sustainable tourism literature often neglects that sustainability is complex and context-dependent, both spatially and temporally. For the first time, this paper defines sustainable tourist behaviour in the context of Greenland and according to the industry’s stakeholders, with the aim of equipping stakeholders and researchers to make concrete improvements to cruise industry operations. There is a focus on recent contextual changes, and on whether attitudes towards sustainability in tourism are changing to incorporate concerns about health and hygiene. Methodology: Empirical data was collected in July 2020 in Sisimiut and Nuuk, two of Greenland’s most popular cruise destinations. In the field, perspectives were gathered from tourism operators, logistics companies, the public sector, and local residents. In order to gather perspectives from cruise tourists themselves at a time when ships were not sailing, the author contacted previous cruise tourists to Greenland through her connections with cruise ... |
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