When the sky lights up: Exploring the Northern lights experience in Tromsø
Author
Højrup, Maiken Ann
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Abstract
This thesis examines the Northern Lights experience in Tromsø through a qualitative case study that explores how tourist satisfaction relates to potential gaps between visitor expectations and the destination’s brand promise. The brand promise and identity were investigated via interviews with VisitTromsø and local stakeholders, while tourist expectations and experiences were gathered through interviews with tourists in Tromsø and potential tourists in Denmark, alongside observations during three Northern Lights tours. The study is grounded in destination branding and the phases of the tourist experience (before, during, after), with particular attention to visual representations, motivation, and satisfaction. Findings indicate that tourists often expect a highly visual experience aligned with marketing and online imagery, while the brand promotes Tromsø as offering strong chances to see the aurora and a broader Arctic capital experience. The analysis identifies inconsistencies between the brand promise and expectations, especially concerning the visual outcome and the understanding of what the experience entails. Despite these gaps, tourists report predominantly positive perceptions, and the thesis discusses how justification and motivation bias may lead visitors to present their experiences more positively when expectations are not fully met. It concludes that the DMO can communicate a promise that largely sets realistic expectations, with tourist word-of-mouth shaping future expectations, although a residual gap may persist due to justification processes within the experience.
Dette speciale undersøger nordlysoplevelsen i Tromsø som et kvalitativt casestudie med fokus på, hvordan turisters tilfredshed forholder sig til eventuelle forskelle mellem deres forventninger og brandløftet for destinationen. Brandets løfte og identitet blev belyst gennem interviews med VisitTromsø og lokale aktører, mens turisters forventninger og oplevelser blev indsamlet via interviews med turister i Tromsø og potentielle turister i Danmark samt observationer under tre nordlysture. Teoretisk bygger undersøgelsen på destination branding og turismeoplevelsens faser (før, under, efter), med særlig vægt på visuelle repræsentationer, motivation og tilfredshed. Resultaterne peger på, at turister ofte forventer en stærkt visuel oplevelse, der matcher billeder fra marketing og internettet, mens brandet samtidig lover gode chancer for at se nordlyset og en bred arktisk oplevelse i Tromsø. Undersøgelsen identificerer uoverensstemmelser mellem brandløfte og forventninger, især omkring den visuelle del og forståelsen af selve oplevelsens indhold. Trods disse gap rapporterer turister overvejende positive oplevelser, og analysen diskuterer, hvordan retfærdiggørelse og motivationsbias kan få turister til at fremstille deres oplevelser mere positivt, selv når forventningerne ikke fuldt ud indfries. Det konkluderes, at DMO’en kan kommunikere et løfte, der i høj grad skaber realistiske forventninger, og at turisters videreformidling kan påvirke fremtidige forventninger – om end et restgab kan bestå som følge af retfærdiggørelsesprocesser i oplevelsen.
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