New research project on Place-based Tourism Strategy Evaluation in the North Atlantic
Members of the Northern Tourism Thematic Network - Robert Gordon University, Icelandic Tourism Research Centre and Hólar University - have teamed up with colleagues from the University of the Faroe Islands, Molde University College and Norwegian Centre for Transport Research to deliver a new research project on Place-based Tourism Strategy Evaluation in the North Atlantic, supported by NORA.
The project on Place-based Tourism Strategy Evaluation in the North Atlantic looks at supporting small coastal communities of Dalabyggð, Iceland; Suðuroy, Faroe Island; and Åndalsnes, Norwey, in developing and evaluating their sustainable tourism strategies, using the Place-based Strategy Evaluation Framework, developed in the Orkney Islands.
Building on a PhD by Dr Alöna Roitershtein, the new project involves the real-world application of the Place-based Strategy Evaluation (PlaSE) Framework, which can help destinations ensure their tourism strategy addresses the context-specific sustainability needs of a local destination.
Dr Alöna Roitershtein, Research Assistant at RGU Orkney and Aberdeen Business School, said: “I am excited to see the outcome of my PhD applied to real-world cases across diverse tourism destinations in the North, which will hopefully bring a positive impact to these communities and become a catalyst for wider applications across the region and beyond.”
The project provides a tool for local destination managers to strategically plan for socially sustainable tourism that supports local communities, emphasising local identity, culture and traditions as key elements that tourism development should be based on.
The outcome of this work will enable destination managers to support local tourism initiatives which are regenerative, aligned with community needs, and enable the use of tourism for local development. The project also contributes to supporting place-based development that is rooted in place identity.
Read more about the new research project here.