Abstract

This is the first book to exclusively address tourism and indigenous peoples in the circumpolar North. It examines how tourism in indigenous communities is influenced by academic and political discourses, and how these communities are influenced by tourism. The volume focuses on the ambivalence relating to tourism as a modern force within ethnic groups who are concerned with maintaining indigenous roots and traditional practices. It seeks to challenge stereotypical understandings of indigenousness and indigeneity and considers conflicting imaginaries of the Arctic and Arctic indigenous tourism. The book contains case studies from Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia and will be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers of tourism, geography, sociology, cultural studies and anthropology. 

The roles of indigenous peoples in tourism are complex, dynamic and politically sensitive all of which contribute to their worthiness as well as their challenge as subjects of academic discourse. Viken and Müller have done a masterful job of meeting these challenges in their edited volume Tourism and Indigeneity in the Arctic – a “must-read" for tourism students, stakeholders and scholars.
The topic of Indigenous Tourism in the North has been covered by numerous authors often familiar with the topic but unfamiliar with the region. Written by researchers familiar with the issues of Indigeneity and rurality in the North, this book provides a refreshing perspective on Indigenous Tourism occurring in the Arctic regions.
This refreshing book offers a highly valuable contribution to the existing literature on indigenous tourism with specific focus on the Circumpolar North. Tourism and Indigeneity in the Arctic is a timely and important collection and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the relationships and encounters between tourism and indigenous people.

Arvid Viken is Professor in Tourism, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway. His research interests include destination development, indigenous tourism, tourism and community interaction.

Dieter K. Müller is Professor in Social and Economic Geography, Umeå University, Sweden. His research interests focus on issues related to tourism and local and regional development in rural and peripheral areas in northern environments.