How should cruise tourism be governed? A study into the Governance of Cruise Tourism in Greenland
Author
Eskildsen, Heidi Aardrup
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-31
Pages
78
Abstract
Cruise tourism is the fastest-growing part of tourism in Greenland. In 2019, cruise passengers made up nearly half of all visitors, and numbers increased by 86% between 2015 and 2019. Despite this growth and its potential positive and negative effects, the policy response has been limited. This thesis examines how cruise tourism is currently governed and how it should be governed in the future, from the perspective of relevant stakeholders. The study is based on 10 semi-structured interviews and two additional interviews (one by email and one by phone) with actors involved in cruise tourism. It is supported by a literature review of Arctic and Greenlandic cruise tourism to provide a theoretical foundation. The analysis uses the concept of the marine community, which looks at the groups that share and affect the marine environment, and a governance typology with four forms: hierarchical (rules set by authorities), market-based (economic mechanisms), network-based (collaboration among organizations), and community-based (grounded in local norms and decisions). Research on policy instruments—the tools governments use to influence behavior—is included to connect governance, concrete policy tools, and views on key policy problems. Findings show that all four governance forms are present in cruise governance, but they are applied in different policy areas. The analysis also highlights differences in the governance frameworks under which expedition cruises and conventional cruises operate. Interviewees repeatedly voiced concerns about the impacts of conventional cruises, often identifying them as the main source of negative effects. The thesis advances understanding of how governance structures shape cruise tourism and highlights the major policy problems and tensions in current cruise governance. It argues that cruise governance stands at a crossroads and concludes that policymakers need to decide on the future direction of cruise tourism in Greenland and how it should be governed.
Krydstogtturisme er den hurtigst voksende del af turismen i Grønland. I 2019 udgjorde krydstogtpassagerer næsten halvdelen af alle turister, og antallet voksede med 86% fra 2015 til 2019. På trods af denne vækst og de mulige positive og negative konsekvenser har området fået begrænset politisk opmærksomhed. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan krydstogtturisme i dag bliver reguleret og styret (governance), og hvordan den bør styres fremover set fra relevante interessenters perspektiv. Undersøgelsen bygger på 10 semistrukturerede interviews samt to supplerende interviews (ét via e‑mail og ét via telefon) med aktører inden for krydstogtturisme. Derudover er der gennemført et litteraturstudie om arktisk og grønlandsk krydstogtturisme for at skabe et teoretisk grundlag. Som analytisk ramme anvendes begrebet om det maritime fællesskab (marine community), der ser på de aktører, som deler og påvirker havmiljøet, samt en typologi for styring (governance) med fire former: hierarkisk (myndighedsregler), markedsbaseret (økonomiske mekanismer), netværksbaseret (samarbejde mellem organisationer) og lokalsamfundsbaseret (forankret i lokale normer og beslutninger). Forskning i politiske virkemidler (de redskaber, myndigheder bruger til at påvirke adfærd) inddrages for at forstå sammenhængen mellem styringsformer, konkrete policy-redskaber og syn på centrale problemer. Resultaterne viser, at alle fire styringsformer findes i krydstogtstyringen, men at de bruges på forskellige politikområder. Analysen fremhæver også forskelle i, hvilke styringsrammer ekspeditionskrydstogter og konventionelle krydstogter opererer under. Interviewpersonerne udtrykte gennemgående bekymring for konsekvenserne af konventionelle krydstogter, som ofte blev set som hovedkilden til de negative påvirkninger. Afhandlingen bidrager med indsigt i, hvilken rolle styringsstrukturer spiller for krydstogtturismen, og belyser de vigtigste policy-problemer og spændinger i den nuværende styring. Den peger på, at governance af krydstogtturisme står ved en skillevej, og konkluderer, at beslutningstagere må tage stilling til den fremtidige retning for krydstogtturismen i Grønland og til, hvordan den skal styres.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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