Just Published: Insights on Tourism Work in the Arctic
Tourism is often celebrated as a driver of sustainable development in the Arctic—but decent work remains a challenge. The UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Tourism has released the first report from its three year project "Tourism Employment in the Arctic: Towards Decent Work", funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic Arctic Programme.
The 2025 theme, precarity, sheds new light on how flexible and insecure labour conditions shape tourism employment across Arctic regions. The project is based on collaboration between researchers and graduate students from seven partner universities and people from multiple Arctic organisations, spanning industry, labour unions, educational institutes and the tourism support system taking place during a week long workshop in Iceland. The report highlights shared vulnerabilities and region specific dynamics in Arctic labour markets.
The report also outlines key policy and research recommendations:
- Shift from profit first growth models to people–planet–profit approaches.
- Strengthen enforcement of labour rights to ensure tourism remains a fair and attractive workplace.
- Invest in vocational and higher education that recognises tourism as skilled, evolving work, especially as AI and robotisation reshape operations.
- Build a culture of respect around tourism jobs, with a focus on language training, inclusion, and equity for seasonal and migrant workers.
This broad collaboration, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, Global Affairs Canada and Nordplus, sets the stage for deeper work by the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism on internationalisation (2026) and community (2027). Strengthening decent work in Arctic tourism is both urgent and achievable.
Find the online report here: norden.org/publications