Enhancing culturally sensitive tourism in Finnish Lapland : exploring the role of the Sámi tourism guidelines

• Main Author: Plesa, Doriana
• Other Authors: fi=Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta|en=Faculty of Social Sciences|
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: fi=Lapin yliopisto|en=University of Lapland| 2024
• Subjects: Sámi; cultural sensitivity; indigenous guidelines; indigenous tourism; sami tourism; tourism; Lapland; cultural tourism; Sami identity; indigenous peoples; content analysis; Tourism research / Northern tourism; Viken; sami
• Online Access: https://lauda.ulapland.fi/handle/10024/66055; http://nbn-resolving.org/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024061351774

The tourism industry’s growth resulted in unethical impacts on the local communities which prompted the implementation of controls such as policies, codes of conduct, and Indigenous tourism guidelines to maintain ethical standards. While policies and codes have been widely studied, research on Indigenous tourism guidelines is limited, focusing on their effectiveness and limitations. This study aimed to understand how the “Principles for responsible and ethically sustainable Sámi tourism” are recognised and implemented and explored their role in enhancing cultural sensitivity. The conceptual framework of this thesis was guided by Viken et al.’s (2021) study on cultural sensitivity. The main research question of the study was: What role do the Sámi tourism guidelines have in enhancing cultural sensitivity? The sub-questions were: What actions are tourism actors taking in order to enhance cultural sensitivity? and How are the Sámi tourism guidelines recognized and used by tourism actors in Finnish Lapland? The study used two sets of data: semi-structured interviews with three tourism actors and online data from eight tourism actors’ websites. The methods of analysis were thematical analysis for the first set and qualitative content analysis for the second set. The main findings of the research suggested that tourism actors in Finnish Sápmi actively engaged in promoting cultural sensitivity towards the Sámi people through actions like prioritizing authentic experiences, recognizing the diversity within Sámi culture, fostering reciprocity between hosts and guests, and encouraging collaboration within the tourism industry. A portion of Lapland's tourism sector showed awareness and implementation of the guidelines, aligning their actions with the principles that promote cultural sensitivity, respect, and reciprocity in Sámi tourism. Additionally, inadequate training for seasonal workers, limited control over tourism companies' behaviour, and the impact of Christmas tourism on Sámi culture were identified as challenges ...