A case study on tourism operators’ practices regarding Sámi tourism in Finland

Full title: Impact of the Principles for Responsible and Ethically Sustainable Sámi Tourism on Tourism Operators’ Practices in Finland: A case study on tourism operators’ practices regarding Sámi tourism in Finland

Literature outlines a great controversy about the benefits and costs of indigenous tourism for native communities. The productisation of Sámi culture in the tourism industry has partially led to a harmful and inauthentic representation of the Sámi people and their way of life. This research investigates the impact of the Principles for responsible and ethically sustainable Sámi Tourism published by the Sámi parliament in 2018 on tourism operators’ practices in Finland. It was analysed to what extent the Principles have been recognised and implemented by critically examining tourism websites and interviewing Finnish tourism boards. The analyses show features of colonial discourse on websites and a lack of ethical requirements for partnerships with tour operators. The results suggest that the Principles were only partially recognised and not successfully implemented. The study contributes to the understanding of indigenous tourism marketing in Finland and the representation of Sámi culture.

Author: S. Gunsenheimer (2022)