Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest
The Svalbard Archipelago has experienced a rapid increase in tourism-related activities over the past few decades. The Norwegian Government’s ambition to develop the Archipelago’s tour- ism industry offers multiple socio-economic opportunities. The development and scope of these tourism activities i...
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ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:7716855 2023-05-15T14:23:00+02:00 Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest Hovelsrud, Grete K. Olsen, Julia Nilsson, Annika E. Kaltenborn, Bjørn Lebel, Julien 2023-02-22 https://zenodo.org/record/7716855 https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 eng eng info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/869154/ https://zenodo.org/record/7716855 https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 oai:zenodo.org:7716855 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode Arctic Review on Law and Politics 14(2023) 86-106 info:eu-repo/semantics/article publication-article 2023 ftzenodo https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 2023-03-15T00:03:05Z The Svalbard Archipelago has experienced a rapid increase in tourism-related activities over the past few decades. The Norwegian Government’s ambition to develop the Archipelago’s tour- ism industry offers multiple socio-economic opportunities. The development and scope of these tourism activities is affected by a complex governance system that entails strict environmental regulation and preparedness considerations. To understand the balance of goals across the national and international policy levels, we have mapped, reviewed, and analyzed the national and inter- national regulations and agreements that affect tourism activities on Svalbard. The document analysis reveals the framework of natural and environmental consideration, access to areas and passage, requirements for organized outdoor activities, and regulatory tools. We discovered con- flicts and internal inconsistencies in the way that Svalbard tourism has developed. It has been shaped by both economic growth and environmental preservation, without any specific business development objectives and goals or acceptable limits of environmental and social change in place. For tourism stakeholders, this might complicate any rational assessment of the balance between economic development and environmental status. The challenges we have identified are specific to Svalbard, but are likely to be similar in many other Arctic locations involved in tourism. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Arctic review on law and politics Svalbard Zenodo Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Arctic Review on Law and Politics 14 |
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English |
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The Svalbard Archipelago has experienced a rapid increase in tourism-related activities over the past few decades. The Norwegian Government’s ambition to develop the Archipelago’s tour- ism industry offers multiple socio-economic opportunities. The development and scope of these tourism activities is affected by a complex governance system that entails strict environmental regulation and preparedness considerations. To understand the balance of goals across the national and international policy levels, we have mapped, reviewed, and analyzed the national and inter- national regulations and agreements that affect tourism activities on Svalbard. The document analysis reveals the framework of natural and environmental consideration, access to areas and passage, requirements for organized outdoor activities, and regulatory tools. We discovered con- flicts and internal inconsistencies in the way that Svalbard tourism has developed. It has been shaped by both economic growth and environmental preservation, without any specific business development objectives and goals or acceptable limits of environmental and social change in place. For tourism stakeholders, this might complicate any rational assessment of the balance between economic development and environmental status. The challenges we have identified are specific to Svalbard, but are likely to be similar in many other Arctic locations involved in tourism. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hovelsrud, Grete K. Olsen, Julia Nilsson, Annika E. Kaltenborn, Bjørn Lebel, Julien |
spellingShingle |
Hovelsrud, Grete K. Olsen, Julia Nilsson, Annika E. Kaltenborn, Bjørn Lebel, Julien Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
author_facet |
Hovelsrud, Grete K. Olsen, Julia Nilsson, Annika E. Kaltenborn, Bjørn Lebel, Julien |
author_sort |
Hovelsrud, Grete K. |
title |
Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
title_short |
Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
title_full |
Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
title_fullStr |
Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
title_full_unstemmed |
Managing Svalbard Tourism: Inconsistencies and Conflicts of Interest |
title_sort |
managing svalbard tourism: inconsistencies and conflicts of interest |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://zenodo.org/record/7716855 https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Arctic review on law and politics Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Arctic review on law and politics Svalbard |
op_source |
Arctic Review on Law and Politics 14(2023) 86-106 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/869154/ https://zenodo.org/record/7716855 https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 oai:zenodo.org:7716855 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v14.5113 |
container_title |
Arctic Review on Law and Politics |
container_volume |
14 |
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1766295493365727232 |