The effects of climate change are leading to pronounced physical and ecological changes in the Arctic Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). These are not only of concern for the research community but also for the tourism industry dependent on this unique marine ecosystem. Tourists increasingly become aware that the Arctic as we know it may disappear due to several environmental threats, and want to visit the region before it becomes irrevocably changed. However, ‘last-chance tourism’ in this region faces several challenges. The lack of infrastructure and appropriate search and rescue policies are examples of existing issues in such a remote location. Additionally, tourism itself may further amplify the physical and ecological changes in the Arctic region. In this article, we provide an interdisciplinary analysis of the links between the MIZ, climate change and the tourism industry. We also identify existing regulations and the need for new ones concerning operations in the MIZ and in the Arctic Ocean.

This paper investigates how Arctic expedition cruise operators ‘create’ tourism destinations and diversify tourism space through itinerary making. The study proposes a typology of perceived values of a tourism destination and explores what value dimensions are critical in deciding on cruising locations. The typology helps to explain why certain locations became popular tourism destinations and why tourism space in the Arctic is so diversified. The analysis shows that ‘creation’ and distribution of Arctic expedition cruise destinations is dominated by functional costs and benefits, related mostly to sailing conditions and shipping logistics. Emotional costs (e.g. perceived risks) also play significant roles and prevail over emotional benefits (e.g. perceived achievement) and social factors, which were found least important.

This paper explores the relationship between sea ice conditions and cruise tourism activities in the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard. It analyzes how cruise tourism planning and organization depend on sea ice conditions and to what extent Arctic climate change influences tourism. A mixed-method approach, including sea ice analysis and interviews with 13 cruise tourism stakeholders, was applied to grasp the complexity of Svalbard’s cruise tourism. The outcomes show that cruise traffic depends on the sea ice cover, but only to some extent. Other factors, such as a location’s attractiveness or sailing regulations also influence cruise itineraries around Svalbard. Sea ice conditions are in general considered favorable for cruising around Svalbard, and sea ice is a not a decisive factor in cruise planning and organization. The sea ice cover around Svalbard is decreasing; thus, high annual and inter-annual unpredictability of sea ice poses challenges for cruise operations around Svalbard. Flexibility in itineraries, plus good cooperation and management help the cruise industry adjust to any challenges arising from uncertain sea ice conditions. However, issues of overcrowding and decreased attractiveness due to disappearing ice are more and more visible and may challenge the development of cruise tourism around Svalbard in the future.

Sustainable management of nature-based tourism sites is a pertinent issue in vulnerable Arctic environments. Arctic tourism operators often act collectively to protect their common interests of ensuring the sustainability of tourism sites. Nowadays, information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly used to support these collaborative efforts, but the remoteness and risks associated with Arctic tourism operations challenge the success of such collective action. This study explores the use of ICT as a management tool for Arctic tourism sites to ensure their sustained quality. Drawing on a case study of an expedition cruise operators’ network in Svalbard, we explore how the use of ICT affects collective action and sustainable management of tourism sites. Our findings show that, through increased noticeability, the creation of artificial proximity and the development of new management practices, ICT can help to overcome the challenges for collective action that are posed by the Arctic environment. The use of ICT results in changes in a network’s relational and normative structures, which can as much add to as detract from the success of collective action. Our study indicates that the successful application of ICT depends on a high level of social capital, in particular norms, to guide interactions between ICT and network actors.