In this paper, two World Heritage island destinations are compared, Gotland in the Baltic and Rapa Nui in the Pacific. Both islands deal with a growing number of tourists, which asks for rethinking of tourism development. As cultural heritage plays a major role in tourism for both destinations, it is especially important to look into sustainable cultural tourism development from the perspective of authenticity. The paper is based on a variety of materials and takes an innovative approach to methods through a student–staff collaboration. The data show that social acceptance of tourism by local communities on both islands could be achieved through the creation of authentic experiences. Furthermore, data show that it is rather potent to engage both locals and tourists in modernized authentic experiences. However, this can only be done if locals are empowered and are genuinely allowed to steer the development of tourism.

Sustainability challenges in tourism are widely discussed. There is a huge need for education in the field of destination development. Students require appropriate problem-solving skills. This article examines the master’s course in destination development at Uppsala University, Campus Gotland, with the aim of increasing students’ skills in solving sustainability problems. The course took place in the spring semester of 2020 with the main goal of improving students’ skills in formulating and solving sustainable challenges in groups. This was achieved by activating the heterogeneity of the group, seeking relevant information and facts, and organising and carrying out the task with a design-thinking methodology. Students were provided with real problems or challenges by tourist companies, authorities and other interest groups on the island of Gotland. The purpose of this study is to describe the group of students as well as joint learning processes and knowledge needed in the work towards sustainable solutions. The major implication of the study is that the course gave the students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of both the barriers and benefits of working with heterogeneous groups. Furthermore, the study revealed a number of factors that all organisations would need to take into account in order to improve the effectiveness of their work towards sustainable solutions.

Despite generalised global recommendations, local communities are rarely involved in defining strategic tourism development options. Similarly, methodologies to facilitate these processes of co-creation have not been adequately implemented, tested, and generalised. This study aims to contribute to this body of knowledge by assessing the potential of a participatory planning method centred on the strategic diversification of tourism products. Focusing on the Swedish island of Gotland, where tourism dynamics partly depend on the visits to the Hanseatic town of Visby by cruise ships, a workshop based on an Open Space Methodology (OSM) was implemented, involving local entrepreneurs, representatives of organisations, students, and international researchers in tourism (an original contribution). The results revealed that these “coopetition” processes can contribute to identifying problems and determining possible solutions. In our case, these options can be framed within the concept of “penetration” (modifications and increasing promotion of existing products to the existing markets) involving aspects related to physical and digital infrastructures, along with partnerships and collaborations amongst stakeholders. Overall, this study reveals that the interaction between members and non-members of the local community appears crucial for the emergence of innovative ideas.

Growing cruise tourism numbers in the Arctic have prompted concerns about a lack of local capacity to handle this form of development. To address these concerns, this paper discusses how Arctic tourism destinations manage cruise tourism. The study involved a cross-case analysis of five Arctic cruise destination communities. The empirical investigation identifies five practices — pricing, innovation, investment, regulation, and networking—that can be used to address local cruise challenges and secure local control over the number of incoming cruise tourists. The study concludes that sustainable Arctic cruise destinations rely on regional and national regulations, locally developed practices, and local governance arrangements.