The Representation of Icelandic Medieval Heritage in Tourism

• Main Author: Mariko Komaru 1985-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Ferðamálafræði; Miðalda; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/39969

The tourism industry has developed rapidly in Iceland during the last decade. It is based on both culture-based and nature-based attractions, whereas the former is less promoted and examined. Particularly, Icelandic medieval heritage from the Settlement era (870-930) to Commonwealth period (930-1262) has rarely been a focus area of tourism studies. This research aims to study the representation of Icelandic medieval heritage in tourism in terms of the policies and ways of representation in museums and exhibitions and the potential opportunities in the future of Icelandic tourism. This study investigates how authenticity is shaped in the representation and what sources are selected for reference of authenticity, as well as what display styles, non-personal supports and interpersonal activities are adopted in the exhibitions. While Vikings are globally recognised as one of the most iconic figures of medieval Northern Europe, Viking-related tourism has developed and has been analysed in the Nordic and other countries. However, the studies of medieval heritage tourism in Iceland are very few. The research was carried out in the ten museums and exhibitions related to medieval heritage in Iceland. Data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with museum staff and field and online observations. This research sheds light on the representation of Icelandic medieval heritage throughout the country, and possibilities for the future development of tourism based on Icelandic medieval heritage. Ferðaþjónusta á Íslandi hefur þróast hratt síðastliðinn áratug. Aðdráttaröfl tengjast bæði náttúru og mennngu en menningartengd ferðaþjónusta hefur síður verið markaðssett og rannsökuð. Sérstaklega hefur lítil áhersla verið lögð á menningararf frá landnámstímabilinu (870-930) og þjóðveldistímanum (930-1262) í ferðamálarannsóknum. Markmið þessarar rannsóknir er að rýna í framsetningu á íslenskum menningararfi frá miðöldum eins og hún birtist á söfnum og sýningum sem og möguleg tækifæri til að efla íslenska ...