icelandic tourism challenges and opportunities dr. edward h. huijbens director / reader icelandic...

Icelandic tourism

challenges and opportunities

Dr. Edward H. Huijbens

Director / ReaderIcelandic Tourism Research Centre / University of Akureyri

edward@unak.is

Nordic school visit at the University of Akureyri14th September 2012

The anthroposcene

Icelandic tourism

Planning

[a]ny approach to sustainable tourism planning needs to be based on sound ecological principles. This means not just an appreciation of the physical environment but also a deeper understanding of the economic, social, political and physical systems of which tourism is a part

Hall, 2000: Tourism Planning. Policies, Processes and Relationships p .205

requires far more than paying lip-service to key terms, gleaned from some convenient glossary. It requires ongoing engagements with the ever changing multiple complexities, relations, connections, lines and folds of actants and the constant de- and reterritorialisation ...

Hillier, 2007: Stretching beyond the Horizon: A Multiplanar Theory of Spatial Planning and Governance, p. 312

Sustainability

Source: UNEP & WTO, 2005: Making Tourism more Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers, p. 20

Environmental awerness

Eagles & McCool, 2000: Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas, p. 20

Sustainaibility

Sustainable tourism development meets the need of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, and biological diversity, and life support systems

Nature-based tourism

ecotourism:... tourism that is environmentally and socially benign, contributing both to local economies and the conservation of protected areas, while educating the traveller about local nature and culture

Gössling & Hultman, 2006: Ecotourism in Scandinavia. Lessons in Theory and Practice, p. 1, see also Brightsmith, Stronza & Holle, 2008: Biological Conservation, 141, p. 2833

• Natural areas• Environmental sustainability • Interpretation and education• Returns to the environment • Returns to the local communities• Cultural sensitivity

Black & Crabtree, 2007: Quality Assurance and Certification in Ecotourism

Experiencing nature

Beauty

Religion

Escape

Challenge

Romanticism and history

Solitude

Intimacy

Learning and discovery

Knowing that there is untouched nature

Technology in survival

The natural

Wilderness

Settled landUntouched land

Ease of access - greater

More natural environments

Wilderness quality

Medium Small NoneGreat

Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir, Rannveig Ólafsdóttir & Rögnvaldur Ólafsson, 2009: Hálendi Íslands, auðlind útivistar og ferðamennsku. Rannsóknir sem undirstaða skipulags Náttúrufræðingurinn, 78(1-2), 33-46.

Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir, 2010: Planning Nature Tourism in Iceland based on Tourist Attitudes. Tourism Geographies 12(1), 25–52.

Guests to Iceland

It all about nature...

Icelandic Tourist Board, 2012: Icelandic Tourism in Figures, 2011, p. 11

It all about nature...

Tourism in Iceland is characterized by the strong interest tourists show in gazing at, playing in and enjoying nature. It involves travel to the various natural attractions, such as mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, lava fields, geysers, sand fields, rivers, waterfalls, a varied coastline and a vast wilderness area in the central Highlands

Sæþórsdóttir, 2010: Planning Nature Tourism in Iceland based on Tourist Attitudes. In Tourism Geographies. 12, p. 29

Until now, Icelandic nature destinations have been characterized mainly by very limited infrastructure and little commercialization and can be considered underdeveloped with regard to recreation and tourism. With the rapid increase in tourism in the last decades this is gradually changing and investments have been made recently into road construction, parking places, toilet facilities, designed footpaths and a few visitor centres.

Sæþórsdóttir, 2010: Planning Nature Tourism in Iceland based on Tourist Attitudes. In Tourism Geographies. 12, p. 29

SeasonalityNumber of passengers and ASK by Icelandair

SeasonalityOvernights by foreing nationals in all types of accommodation

Experiencing

Huijbens, E. 2009: Mývatn Nature Baths

The elements…Huijbens, E. 2009: Mývatn Nature Baths

Of the Earth…

Huijbens, E. 2009: Mývatn Nature Baths

Landscapes

Huijbens, E. 2010: Dimmuborgir

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Burstafell

Sauðárkrókur

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Holtavörðuheiði

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Varmá - Hveragerði

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Möðrudalsöræfi

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Kotárgil

Kristján Pétur Sigurðsson, 2010: Rauðaþögn á ferð og flugi – Café Karólína, 3rd-30th April 2010

Wilderness

Designated Total

Before1960

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-2009 2010-

National Parks 1 (1) (1) 0 0 2 0 3 (5)*

Nature Reserves 0 1 24 5 6 5 0 41

Natural Monuments 0 2 13 14 3 5 0 37

Country Parks 0 0 7 2 3 7 0 19Habitat Protection Areas 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2

Other Areas 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2

1 2 (3)46

(47) 21 13 21 0 104

* Two became part of Vatnajökull National Park in 2008.

Protected areas in Iceland

hectaresNumber of areas

Number and size

Name and size

2010Categories Size (ha)Snæfellsjökull NP 16.694Nature Reserves 294.922Natural Monuments 6.587Habitat Protection Areas 2.172Country Parks 42.040Other Areas, special act* 1.615.772Total 1.978.187

*Þingvellir NP, Vatnajökull NP, Mývatn Laxá Reserve and Breiðafjörður Reserve Source: Environment Agency

Untouched wilderness

Where there are no visible traces of human impact and nature can evolve without human industry

Where there is a minimum of 5km to nearest infrastructure e.g. Power lines, roads and buildings

Which is a minimum of 25km2 where nature can be enjoyed without interference from infrastructure or human industry and enterprise.

Trips ofAugnablika hf.

Adventures playground?

© Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

© Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

© Rannveig Ólafsdóttir© Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

© Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

© Andrés Arnalds

© Andrés Arnalds