UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Tourism at the 34th Nordic Symposium for Tourism and Hospitality Research
The Thematic Network on Northern Tourism is delighted to invite members and guests to three sessions at the upcoming 34th Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research. The event is taking place 6-8 October 2026 in Reykjavik, Iceland, and is organised by the network member Icelandic Tourism Research Centre.
Please join us for the three sessions, organised by our members, with presentations on the range of fascinating topics pertinent to tourism and the communities affected by it across the North.
S14: Community-Centred and Place-Based Regenerative Cultural Tourism in Northern and Arctic Rural, Island and Peripheral
October 7 13:00-15:50. Chair: Alöna Roitershtein
NS34 Session 14
This session explores how community-centred and place-based approaches to regenerative cultural tourism can support thriving northern and Arctic rural, island and peripheral communities. Bringing together international researchers, it examines themes including placemaking, cultural heritage, storytelling, food cultures, festivals, governance, leadership and community development. Through diverse case studies and perspectives, the session considers how tourism can strengthen local identities, enhance wellbeing, and contribute to regenerative futures that benefit both communities and the places they call home.
S29: Towards Decent Work? Dynamics of Employment in Arctic Tourism Sector
October 7 13:00-14:20. Chair: Outi Rantala
October 7 14:30-15:50. Chair: Jarkko Saarinen
NS34 Session 29
This session explores the opportunities and challenges of achieving decent work in tourism, particularly in Arctic and Nordic contexts where rapid growth, seasonality, labour shortages, and peripheral locations shape employment conditions. It aims to advance understanding of how tourism is positioned within local and regional labour markets and to critically examine its potential contribution to sustainable development. The session includes empirical and conceptual contributions that address employment quality, labour relations, workforce mobility, governance, and pathways toward decent work.
S40: Plenary session
October 7 16.10-17.10. Chair: Gunnar Þór Jóhannesson
NS34 Plenary Session 40
This session presents findings from the first year of the international research project Tourism Employment in the Arctic: Towards Decent Work, led by seven universities within the UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Tourism. Focusing on precarity in tourism employment, the project identifies common structural challenges and bottlenecks affecting decent work across Arctic destinations. Key results will be presented and discussed by researchers and representatives from the Icelandic tourism industry, with attention to implications for policy, practice, and future research
For more information about the symposium and registration: