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Developing guidelines for Arctic tourism
Reports collective economies of scale has traditionally been a key public tourist office role. New models for these bodies, as described by representatives from the A u s t r i a n National Tourist Office and the Irish Tourist Board, provided encouragement for the future by demonstrating the close relationship between customer service, strategic orientation and information systems. To summarize, therefore, E N T E R provided an excellent overview of current technological and system design trends related to the tourism industry. It successfully explored key organizational developments at the same time
as addressing the opportunities for inter-organizational cooperation and direct access to consumers that IT is facilitating. At the time of writing it has just been agreed to hold next year's ENT E R in Edinburgh under the auspices of the newly formed International Association of 1T and Tourism. The three Innsbruck conferences have provided a solid base for this exciting expansion of an important annual event.
Gilbert Archdale Shaftesbury, UK
Developing guidelines for Arctic tourism 'How to Develop Guidelines for Arctic Tourism' was the title of a conference hosted jointly by the W W F Arctic Programme and the Norwegian Polar Institute in Longyearbyen, Svalbard 20-22 January 1996 and held at the recently established University of Svalbard. All 43 participants were by invitation only and the majority were from Svalbard itself. About a quarter of the participants were tour operators, with most of these from Svalbard, but others came from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK. A number of academics, polar researchers and tourism researchers from Europe and the USA were also present," one of them, Peter Mason, reports on the proceedings. C o p y r i g h t © 1996 E l s e v i e r Science L t d
Most non-Svalbard participants took the same flight to the conference from Oslo and the peculiar status of the archipelago became clear before arrival. Troms0, in northern Norway, is a stop-over on the journey to Svalbard and this is considered an internal flight by the airline Scandinavian Air Services, and passengers paid the usual high Scandinavian prices for their inflight alcohol. Flying on from TromsO to Svalbard is considered an international journey and drinks were free. Svalbard is part of Norway and its importance to the country can be seen in the establishment of the new university, which is funded jointly by the four mainland Norwegian universities. Svalbard also has Russian mining communities. It was once important as a whaling centre but the major industry during this century has been coal mining, with the chief town named
464
after the American, Longyear, who invested in the industry in the early 1900s. Coal has been declining for the last 10 years and tourism is being seen as the most likely industry to bring economic prosperity. Svalbard is the closest 'high' arctic location - Longyearbyen is at 78 degrees north - to Northern Europe. Although tourism is relatively small scale, it is expanding rapidly. There were 38 000 visitors in 1991 and 54 000 in 1994.1 Almost all of the invited participants made some form of presentation either in the form of a lecture or workshop. A number of key presentations are discussed below. P e t e r Mason, University of Plymouth, set the scene for the conference by indicating the questions and issues in relation to the drafting o f codes of conduct for the Arctic. Arvid Viken, Finnmark College, Norway, gave a
stimulating lecture entitled 'Tourism regulation - cultural norms or legislation', which attempted to set the process of regulating tourist behaviour within a wider cultural context and considered how different value systems could contribute to problems with the development and enforcement of guidelines. Bernard Stonehouse, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, provided insights into the different definitions of codes, guidelines and regulations and made comparisons with Antarctic tourism management. This theme of comparing approaches in each of the North and South Polar regions was also taken up by a number of other participants, including Cassandra Phillips of W W F I n t e r n a t i o n a l , who argued that comparisons should be drawn with care, and Debra Enzenbacher of the Scott Polar Research Institute, who discussed her research into visitor education by tour operators in Antarctica. A large number of presentations were made by operators and it was particularly noteworthy how many of these welcomed the notion of some form of tourism regulation. Staffan Widstrand, one such operator, discussed the establishment of 'Ten principles for Eco-tourism' within Sweden and how these could be used to market a p p r o p r i a t e tourism. A n d r e a s Umbreit, tour operator of many years standing and Svalbard guidebook author, indicated how tourists have become more environmentally aware over the past decade. Robin Buzza of Arctic Wilderness Experience gave his views on the changes in tourism to Svalbard in almost a quarter of a century of operation and expressed his growing concern for the environmental consequences. Kathleen Cartwright of Arcturus Expeditions discussed how her company provides experiences, but also environmental education, in Greenland and Arctic Russia. Barbel Kramer of Hanseatic Tours, Germany, discussed the growing demand for cruise tourism in the Arctic and its potential contribution as well as ways it could be regulated. A Saami [Lapp] perspective was provided by Leif Halonen of the Saami Council, Kautokeino, Norway.
Reports He indicated that in the past the Saami have been used as an attraction for tourists but have not until recently gained much in economic terms in return. He hoped greater regulation would enable more active involvement and greater gains for the Saami. Ko de Korte, Plancius Institute, The Netherlands, provided an interesting insight into the often difficult relationship between Science and tourism, drawing on both Antarctic and Arctic research in the process. This theme was also taken up by a number of other participants including Elisabeth Stoltz Larsen of the Norwegian Polar Institute, who discussed the relationship between wildlife conservation, nature tours and visitor nnanagement on Svalbard itself. Natalie Gitto, a student of the Department of Northern Studies, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in her presentation asked whether there was sufficient interest to create a Centre tbr Polar Tourism. Participants generally agreed that this was a timely suggestion and hoped that such a centre would be established soon. The conference was not just a forum for the sharing of ideas, research and experience as it had an intended practical output. The specific aim was to consider the creation of guidelines for Arctic tourism development. Prior to the c o n f e r e n c e participants were asked to consider a number of questions and bring responses with them, These responses were discussed by a small group selected by the organizers comprising a number of participants and conference organizers themselves. The result of this group's discussion was presented to participants at the final conference session, which was chaired by Peter Prokosch, WWF Arctic Programme Director. This session led to the creation of a "Memorandum of Understanding' in relation to Arctic tourism guidelines. The main points of this memorandum are given below. In it participants agreed to: • suggest that these aim at minimiz-
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ing negative impacts on the environment, optimizing benefits to local communities and promoting the conservation of nature; recommend that these guidelines include a code of conduct for Arctic visitors and a code of conduct for Arctic tour operators, as well as principles for management of Arctic tourist destinations. recognize that cooperation as well as competition between tour operators at all levels can yield positive effects for conservation. To act as an incentive, a system should be developed in which tour operators are encouraged to enter into contracts with a suitable international body where the tour operators guarantee they will follow the agreed guidelines and codes of conduct. In return, they would be allowed to use an official logo for marketing purposes; advocate that all Arctic communities require that any tour company intending to operate in their area sign such a contract and maintain at least these minimum standards. Arctic communities could also enter into contracts with a suitable international body in order to be labelled e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y sound tourist destinations that can be marketed accordingly; recognize that local participation should be a major component of Arctic tourism; consider that responsible tourism could assist in the development of the Circumpolar Protected Area Network as well as promote local nature conservation: recommend that tour operators cooperate with conservation NGOs to advocate keeping Arctic nature unfragmented and unaltered; recommend that experience gained from shipborne tourism in Antarctica be applied to the Arctic; recommend further consideration of the use of terminology such as 'Arctic eco-tourism' to apply to this type of tourism;
• recommend that tour operators minimize the use of fuel and the environmental damage caused by various means of transport: • recognize that tour guides need local knowledge and related skills appropriate to provide safe and high-quality services and recommend relevant training programmes; • recommend that the guidelines be promoted using a wide variety of media, tour operator information and visitor/interpretation centres; • recommend that financing for the development of guidelines should be sought from Arctic tour operators, local and national governmerits, Polar research institutes, the EU and Arctic universities. As with any such recommendations, putting them into action and monitoring their effectiveness will be crucial. Participants believed, however, that through the active involvement and close cooperation of indigemms people's organizations, tour operators, local and national governments, nongovernmental organizations, the host communities and scientific connmunity these recommendations will inform the development of Arctic tourism and intend that they should be implemented by the eight Arctic countries within the framework of the "Arctic Environmental Protection Strategf.
Reference tViken, A "Tourism experiences in the Arctic: the Svalbard case" in Hall, C M and Johnston, M (eds) Polar Tourism: Tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions Chichester, Wiley (1995)
Peter Mason Department o f Management Systems Massey University Private Bag 11222 Palmerston North New Zealand
465
as addressing the opportunities for inter-organizational cooperation and direct access to consumers that IT is facilitating. At the time of writing it has just been agreed to hold next year's ENT E R in Edinburgh under the auspices of the newly formed International Association of 1T and Tourism. The three Innsbruck conferences have provided a solid base for this exciting expansion of an important annual event.
Gilbert Archdale Shaftesbury, UK
Developing guidelines for Arctic tourism 'How to Develop Guidelines for Arctic Tourism' was the title of a conference hosted jointly by the W W F Arctic Programme and the Norwegian Polar Institute in Longyearbyen, Svalbard 20-22 January 1996 and held at the recently established University of Svalbard. All 43 participants were by invitation only and the majority were from Svalbard itself. About a quarter of the participants were tour operators, with most of these from Svalbard, but others came from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK. A number of academics, polar researchers and tourism researchers from Europe and the USA were also present," one of them, Peter Mason, reports on the proceedings. C o p y r i g h t © 1996 E l s e v i e r Science L t d
Most non-Svalbard participants took the same flight to the conference from Oslo and the peculiar status of the archipelago became clear before arrival. Troms0, in northern Norway, is a stop-over on the journey to Svalbard and this is considered an internal flight by the airline Scandinavian Air Services, and passengers paid the usual high Scandinavian prices for their inflight alcohol. Flying on from TromsO to Svalbard is considered an international journey and drinks were free. Svalbard is part of Norway and its importance to the country can be seen in the establishment of the new university, which is funded jointly by the four mainland Norwegian universities. Svalbard also has Russian mining communities. It was once important as a whaling centre but the major industry during this century has been coal mining, with the chief town named
464
after the American, Longyear, who invested in the industry in the early 1900s. Coal has been declining for the last 10 years and tourism is being seen as the most likely industry to bring economic prosperity. Svalbard is the closest 'high' arctic location - Longyearbyen is at 78 degrees north - to Northern Europe. Although tourism is relatively small scale, it is expanding rapidly. There were 38 000 visitors in 1991 and 54 000 in 1994.1 Almost all of the invited participants made some form of presentation either in the form of a lecture or workshop. A number of key presentations are discussed below. P e t e r Mason, University of Plymouth, set the scene for the conference by indicating the questions and issues in relation to the drafting o f codes of conduct for the Arctic. Arvid Viken, Finnmark College, Norway, gave a
stimulating lecture entitled 'Tourism regulation - cultural norms or legislation', which attempted to set the process of regulating tourist behaviour within a wider cultural context and considered how different value systems could contribute to problems with the development and enforcement of guidelines. Bernard Stonehouse, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, provided insights into the different definitions of codes, guidelines and regulations and made comparisons with Antarctic tourism management. This theme of comparing approaches in each of the North and South Polar regions was also taken up by a number of other participants, including Cassandra Phillips of W W F I n t e r n a t i o n a l , who argued that comparisons should be drawn with care, and Debra Enzenbacher of the Scott Polar Research Institute, who discussed her research into visitor education by tour operators in Antarctica. A large number of presentations were made by operators and it was particularly noteworthy how many of these welcomed the notion of some form of tourism regulation. Staffan Widstrand, one such operator, discussed the establishment of 'Ten principles for Eco-tourism' within Sweden and how these could be used to market a p p r o p r i a t e tourism. A n d r e a s Umbreit, tour operator of many years standing and Svalbard guidebook author, indicated how tourists have become more environmentally aware over the past decade. Robin Buzza of Arctic Wilderness Experience gave his views on the changes in tourism to Svalbard in almost a quarter of a century of operation and expressed his growing concern for the environmental consequences. Kathleen Cartwright of Arcturus Expeditions discussed how her company provides experiences, but also environmental education, in Greenland and Arctic Russia. Barbel Kramer of Hanseatic Tours, Germany, discussed the growing demand for cruise tourism in the Arctic and its potential contribution as well as ways it could be regulated. A Saami [Lapp] perspective was provided by Leif Halonen of the Saami Council, Kautokeino, Norway.
Reports He indicated that in the past the Saami have been used as an attraction for tourists but have not until recently gained much in economic terms in return. He hoped greater regulation would enable more active involvement and greater gains for the Saami. Ko de Korte, Plancius Institute, The Netherlands, provided an interesting insight into the often difficult relationship between Science and tourism, drawing on both Antarctic and Arctic research in the process. This theme was also taken up by a number of other participants including Elisabeth Stoltz Larsen of the Norwegian Polar Institute, who discussed the relationship between wildlife conservation, nature tours and visitor nnanagement on Svalbard itself. Natalie Gitto, a student of the Department of Northern Studies, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in her presentation asked whether there was sufficient interest to create a Centre tbr Polar Tourism. Participants generally agreed that this was a timely suggestion and hoped that such a centre would be established soon. The conference was not just a forum for the sharing of ideas, research and experience as it had an intended practical output. The specific aim was to consider the creation of guidelines for Arctic tourism development. Prior to the c o n f e r e n c e participants were asked to consider a number of questions and bring responses with them, These responses were discussed by a small group selected by the organizers comprising a number of participants and conference organizers themselves. The result of this group's discussion was presented to participants at the final conference session, which was chaired by Peter Prokosch, WWF Arctic Programme Director. This session led to the creation of a "Memorandum of Understanding' in relation to Arctic tourism guidelines. The main points of this memorandum are given below. In it participants agreed to: • suggest that these aim at minimiz-
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ing negative impacts on the environment, optimizing benefits to local communities and promoting the conservation of nature; recommend that these guidelines include a code of conduct for Arctic visitors and a code of conduct for Arctic tour operators, as well as principles for management of Arctic tourist destinations. recognize that cooperation as well as competition between tour operators at all levels can yield positive effects for conservation. To act as an incentive, a system should be developed in which tour operators are encouraged to enter into contracts with a suitable international body where the tour operators guarantee they will follow the agreed guidelines and codes of conduct. In return, they would be allowed to use an official logo for marketing purposes; advocate that all Arctic communities require that any tour company intending to operate in their area sign such a contract and maintain at least these minimum standards. Arctic communities could also enter into contracts with a suitable international body in order to be labelled e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y sound tourist destinations that can be marketed accordingly; recognize that local participation should be a major component of Arctic tourism; consider that responsible tourism could assist in the development of the Circumpolar Protected Area Network as well as promote local nature conservation: recommend that tour operators cooperate with conservation NGOs to advocate keeping Arctic nature unfragmented and unaltered; recommend that experience gained from shipborne tourism in Antarctica be applied to the Arctic; recommend further consideration of the use of terminology such as 'Arctic eco-tourism' to apply to this type of tourism;
• recommend that tour operators minimize the use of fuel and the environmental damage caused by various means of transport: • recognize that tour guides need local knowledge and related skills appropriate to provide safe and high-quality services and recommend relevant training programmes; • recommend that the guidelines be promoted using a wide variety of media, tour operator information and visitor/interpretation centres; • recommend that financing for the development of guidelines should be sought from Arctic tour operators, local and national governmerits, Polar research institutes, the EU and Arctic universities. As with any such recommendations, putting them into action and monitoring their effectiveness will be crucial. Participants believed, however, that through the active involvement and close cooperation of indigemms people's organizations, tour operators, local and national governments, nongovernmental organizations, the host communities and scientific connmunity these recommendations will inform the development of Arctic tourism and intend that they should be implemented by the eight Arctic countries within the framework of the "Arctic Environmental Protection Strategf.
Reference tViken, A "Tourism experiences in the Arctic: the Svalbard case" in Hall, C M and Johnston, M (eds) Polar Tourism: Tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions Chichester, Wiley (1995)
Peter Mason Department o f Management Systems Massey University Private Bag 11222 Palmerston North New Zealand
465