Tourism stakeholders attitudes toward sustainable development: A case in the Arctic

This research attempts to explore tourism stakeholders’ attitudes toward the practices of sustainability in Arctic destinations that have been regarded as sacred and pristine places that are susceptible to the influx of tourists. A mixed-method approach involving qualitative and quantitative studies is deployed in the Scandinavian Arctic region to facilitate data collection on three groups of tourism stakeholders: residents, tourists, and tourism operators. From the qualitative study, stakeholder attitudes toward environmental protection and cultural preservation emerge as the exogenous variable influencing the practices of sustainability. A host of questionnaire surveys is conducted at various Arctic destinations and results in 593 questionnaires are used for further data analyses. This research finds that among the three groups of stakeholders studied, tourists exhibit the strongest interest in sustainable tourism development in the Arctic region. Further, path analyses demonstrate that a positive attitude toward cultural preservation is considered as the driving force in promoting sustainable operations in Arctic destinations. A positive attitude toward environmental protection also prompts the stakeholders to consider setting a limit for tourism development in the Arctic. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.