AAU Student Projects - visit Aalborg University's student projects portal
A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Stakeholders perspectives on sustainable cruise tourism in the Arctic. A case study of cruise tourism in Greenland

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2021

Submitted on

Pages

77

Abstract

This thesis examines how stakeholders in and around cruise tourism in Greenland understand “sustainable cruise tourism.” Grounded in stakeholder theory and the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, environmental, and socio-cultural), the study applies a qualitative design using interviews, a questionnaire, and document analysis. It explores how actors define sustainability, what practices they use or plan, and how collaboration across the sector is experienced. Findings indicate that stakeholders’ views are shaped by three factors: their position in the cruise tourism value chain, their interests in the industry, and the destination’s stage of development. Although various initiatives to improve sustainability in Greenland were identified, most stakeholders tend to prioritize economic considerations over environmental and socio-cultural dimensions. The conclusions align with existing literature and contribute new insights into Greenland as an Arctic cruise destination amidst climate change.

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan “bæredygtig krydstogtturisme” forstås af aktører i og omkring krydstogter i Grønland. Med udgangspunkt i interessentteori og de tre bæredygtighedsdimensioner (økonomisk, miljømæssig og sociokulturel) anvender studiet et kvalitativt design baseret på interviews, spørgeskema og dokumentanalyse. Formålet er at klarlægge, hvordan forskellige aktører definerer bæredygtighed, hvilke tiltag de allerede anvender eller planlægger, og hvordan samarbejdet på tværs af aktører opleves. Fundene peger på, at forståelsen af bæredygtig krydstogtturisme formes af tre forhold: aktørens placering i værdikæden, vedkommendes interesser i industrien og destinationens udviklingsstadie. På trods af identificerede initiativer for at gøre turismen mere bæredygtig, prioriterer de fleste aktører den økonomiske dimension højere end miljømæssige og sociokulturelle hensyn. Konklusionerne ligger i forlængelse af eksisterende litteratur og bidrager med ny viden om Grønland som arktisk krydstogtdestination i en tid præget af klimaforandringer.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]