This report is based on presentations, panel debates and input from participants from the conference. It gathers overarching conference themes and shares the insights of speakers and participants who have kindly contributed by summarising their main take-aways for the purpose of this report after the conference.
The conference was funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, whereas this report is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Cooperation programme. The report has been written in the Sustainable Indigenous Tourism in the Nordic Arctic project which invited Inuit and Sámi tourism entrepreneurs from Kalaallit Nunaat, Norway and Sweden to the conference. The project partners were the University of Lapland, Umeå University, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Aalborg University, the Sámi Parliament in Norway and Innovation South Greenland/Visit South Greenland. The project strengthened sustainable Indigenous tourism development in the Nordic Arctic through networking and co-operation between Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs in Finland, Kalaallit Nunaat, Norway, Sweden and other countries, the Sámi Parliaments in Finland, Norway and Sweden, universities, destination management organisations (DMOs), the national tourism organisation Visit Greenland and WINTA. This report contributes to strengthening cross-Arctic collaborative knowledge co-creation and capacity building and supporting DMOs and private entrepreneurs in their strategic goals regarding just and sustainable business solutions.
Warm thanks to all the conference speakers and participants who have contributed to this report (in alphabetical order):
Áile Aikio, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Lapland, Finland
Taija Aikio, Audience Manager, Sámi Museum Siida, Finland
Frank Antoine, Chief, Bonaparte First Nation, Canada; Co-founder, Moccasin Trails, Canada; Chair, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance
John Barrett, Chairman, Kapiti Island Nature Tours, New Zealand; Member, Leadership Council, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance
Ann-Kristin Blind, Svaipa sameby, Arjeplog, Sweden
Ann-Kristine Bongo, Entrepreneur, Sámi Siida, Norway
Sébastien Desnoyers-Picard, CEO and President, Destination Original Indigenous Tourism, Canada
Herminia Din, Professor Emerita, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA
Dorthe Eide, Professor, Nord University Business School, Norway
Christina Hætta, Head of Cultural Unit, Sámi Council, Norway
Anastasiya Henk, Associate Professor, Nord University Business School, Norway
Aviaja Jensen, Visitor Centre Leader, Great Greenland, Greenland
Håkan Jonsson, President, Sámi Parliament, Sweden
Rune Opdahl, Assistant Professor, Nord University Business School, Norway
Lennart Pittja, Entrepreneur, Sápmi Nature, Sweden; Member, Leadership Council, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance
Ellinor Guttorm Utsi, Entrepreneur, Davvi Siida, Norway
Sofiánguak Kristiansen, Entrepreneur, Sermeq Pottery, Greenland
Emma Krupula, Entrepreneur, Emma’s Reindeer, Finland
Heikki Paltto, Entrepreneur, Paltto Elämysretket/Paltto Adventures, Finland
Maud A.J. van Soest, Postdoctoral Researcher, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom
Ningning Sun, Doctoral Candidate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Per-Henrik Tornensis, Reindeer Herder, Entrepreneur, Yläperän Safarit Oy/Kilpisjärvi Reindeer, Finland
Niila-Juhán Valkeapää, Working Chair, Youth Council, Sámi Parliament, Finland
Ann-Kristine Vinka, Coordinator and Executive Director, Biosphere Reserve Vindelälven-Juhhtátahkka, Sweden; Entrepreneur, Geunja Sámi Eco Lodge, Sweden
Suvi West, Film-maker and Novelist, Finland
Zoë Wright, Doctoral Candidate, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom
In memory of WINTA’s late director Johnny Edmonds and late chair Ben Sherman who both participated in the planning of the conference as well as Sarah Woodall, destination manager from our project partner Visit South Greenland, who tragically passed away shortly after the conference.