Journal of Arctic Tourism

A fixed point in a melting world: The paradoxical geographies of tourism at the North Pole

Alix Varnajot — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The geographic North Pole (90°N) has captivated human imagination for centuries, provoking geographical thrills and serving as both a symbol of exploration and a coveted exclusive travel destination for modern-day tourists. While the geographic North Pole remains a permanent and still geographic attraction, the surrounding sea ice is, however, increasingly shrinking, turning this part of the Arctic into the epitome of last chance tourism (LCT). The coexistence of these opposing realities raises practical tensions and critical questions about the future of tourism in the Central Arctic Ocean, whereby people will continue to seek to reach the North Pole in a rapidly changing environment. Using icebreaker cruise tourism as an example, this paper examines how the geographies of the North Pole and the sea ice physics of the Arctic Ocean are intricately interconnected in shaping the North Pole tourist experience – an experience increasingly threatened by climate change. By bringing these contrasting realities together, the paper introduces the idea of the North Pole as a paradoxical place on the one hand, while on the other hand, it provides novel insights into the future of tourism in one of the most vulnerable environments of planet Earth.

Conservation and Tourism Development in Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas of the Canadian Subarctic and Arctic

Courtney Mason, Jordyn M. Bogetti, Emalee A. Vandermale, Patrick Brouder — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For many Indigenous communities around the globe, the histories of tourism in parks are filled with experiences of displacement. Currently, some Indigenous communities are building tourism infrastructure in relation to the formation of parks as a mechanism to enhance sustainable economic development in the Canadian Arctic and Subarctic. Consequently, colonial practices of park management in Canada are being replaced by consultation processes that favour Indigenous management frameworks with corresponding implications for tourism businesses throughout the rural north. This paper is based on an analysis of government policy and legal documents as well as the collective experience of the researchers who work with community-based approaches to park formation and tourism development. This research presents an historical overview of the origins of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, which are emerging designations of parks that provide opportunities for alternative economies outside of resource extractions sectors. However, several legal, jurisdictional and environmental barriers remain that could inhibit sustainable tourism development in the region. We contend that Indigenous-led conservation practices in parks have the potential to enhance healthy ecosystems, regional tourism economies, and the preservation of cultural values in the backdrop of the climate emergency and global pandemics.

Engaging the Arctic: tourism, technology and the transformation of museum practices

Marianna Leoni — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Technology has become an integral part of today’s society and is increasingly applied in various areas of tourism. Museums and visitor centres, in particular, have implemented the use of visual and interactive technologies to improve their exhibitions. These innovations have the ability to engage visitors more deeply, transforming traditional displays into immersive experiences. Such technological implementations have begun to emerge in the Arctic, yet research on their effects and potential remains limited. Their impact is reflected in the reception of such exhibitions, often documented in online reviews and comments.
Drawing on New Museology and the Contextual Model of Learning, this paper focuses on museums in Finland and Iceland, using netnography and thematic analysis to explore how visual and interactive technologies shape visitors’ perceptions of Arctic and subarctic environments and communities. Through an analysis of online reviews, the study identifies how technology is transforming the way tourists engage with and understand the Arctic. The study shows that technology alone is not enough to challenge stereotypes and promote sustainable tourism practices. Its effectiveness depends on the interplay between interactivity, performativity and human interactions.

From mass to class? Aesthetic governance and distinction in the peripheral Arctic

Aapo Lunden, Elizabeth Cooper — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Contemporary tourism faces a fundamental paradox: while industry success has long relied on generalised, replicable models, consumers increasingly seek singular, authentic experiences that promise uniqueness and distinction. This tension, framed through Reckwitz’s distinction between generalisation and singularisation, challenges conventional understandings of tourism production in late modernity. Drawing on these theories and on cultural distinction, this paper explores how destinations negotiate these opposing logics through strategic place-making. We illustrate the argument through two Nordic tourism branding campaigns: Kainuu’s Arctic Lakeland strategy exemplifies Arctic appropriation, relying on minimal differentiation and competitive pricing; Norrbotten’s Care for the Arctic campaign reflects a process of monocleisation, using curated aesthetics and ethical consumption narratives targeting more culturally affluent visitors. We define aesthetic governance as the process by which spatial narratives, aesthetic choices, and ethical claims converge to construct place identities that compete for cultural and ethical capital. Both cases show how peripheral regions convert geographic marginality into symbolic capital, while reproducing contradictions between sustainability discourse and the carbon-intensive realities of tourism. This paper argues that particularity in tourism emerges not through simple niche-market distinctions, but through symbolic positioning that links cultural, spatial, and ethical imaginaries.