![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
Abstract
This paper analyses current institutional arrangements connected to the protection of natural resources in developing nature-based tourism in the territories of the north-western part of the Russian Arctic. Examples from two regions, the Arkhangelsk Oblast and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, illustrate how the different methods of nature conservation – national parks and nature reserves – are promoting or constraining the development of nature-based tourism activities. The study is based on 14 semi-structured interviews with representatives from state organisations as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations, and reviews of planning and policy documents. This paper discusses the factors shaping present institutional arrangements connected to environmental protection and the capability to establish planning schemes. The agencies responsible for nature-based tourism development often suffer from rudimentary tourism planning, inadequate tourism infrastructure and a lack of service management skills. In addition, there is evidence that mistrust and a lack of collaboration among governmental agencies and private stakeholders also limit development opportunities. Despite the difficulties experienced by authorities responsible for the measures of conservation and nature protection in the remote Arctic territories (Nenetsky State Nature Reserve), pockets of success are identifiable (e.g. Kenozersky National Park). The reality of the nature conservation efforts and the ability to develop nature-based activities is heavily dependent on individual engagement and interpersonal collaboration, which makes the best practices non-transferable to other contexts. So far, the current system of institutional governance limits the possibilities to increase the economic impact of nature-based tourism in the Russian Arctic.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the participants for sharing their views on the situation regarding nature-based tourism development.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was supported by a grant from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, Mistra Arctic Futures. The field trip to Russia was supported by the Swedish Research Council’s FORMAS project “Processes of representation in indigenous tourism development. Cases from reindeer husbandry areas in northern Sweden and northwest Russia”.
Notes
1 Peter Fredman and Liisa Tyrväinen, “Frontiers in Nature-based Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 10, no. 3 (2010): 177–89; and Gunnthora Olafsdottir, “On Nature-based Tourism,” Tourism Studies 13, no. 2 (2013): 127–38.
2 Paul Eagles, “Global Trends Affecting Tourism in Protected Areas,” in Tourism and Protected Areas: Benefits Beyond Boundaries, ed. Robyn Bushell and Paul Eagles (Wallingford: CABI, 2007), 27–43.
3 John Jenkins, Dianne Dredge, and Jessica Taplin, “Destination Planning and Policy: Process and Practice,” in Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications, ed. Youcheng Wang and Abraham Pizam (Wallingford: CABI, 2011), 21–38.
4 Lukashina et al., “Tourism and Environmental Degradation in Sochi, Russia,” Annals of Tourism Research 23, no. 3 (1996): 654–65.
5 Bas Amelung and Sarah Nicholls. “Implications of Climate Change for Tourism in Australia,” Tourism Management 41 (2014): 228–44.
6 Clem Tisdell and Clevo Wilson, Nature-based Tourism and Conservation: New Economic Insights and Case Studies (Cheltenham: Elsevier, 2012).
7 Linda Lundmark and Olof Stjernström, “Environmental Protection: An Instrument for Regional Development? National Ambitions versus Local Realities in the Case of Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 9, no. 4 (2009): 387–405.
8 Ibid.
9 Juha Hiedanpää, “European-wide Conservation versus Local Well-Being: The Reception of the Natura 2000 Reserve Network in Karvia, SW-Finland,” Landscape and Urban Planning 61 (2002): 113–23.
10 Peter Burns, “Tourism in Russia: Background and Structure,” Tourism Management 19, no. 6 (1998): 555–65; and Albina Pashkevich and Olof Stjernström, “Making Russian Arctic Accessible for Tourists: Analysis of the Institutional Barriers,” Polar Geography 37, no. 2 (2014): 137–56.
11 Linda Lundmark and Olof Stjernström, “Environmental Protection: An Instrument for Regional Development? National Ambitions versus Local Realities in the Case of Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 9, no. 4 (2009): 387–405.
12 Zbignew Karpowicz, “The Challenge of Ecotourism – Application and Prospects for Implementation in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia,” The Tourist Review 3 (1993): 28–40.
13 Paul Lorah and Rob Southwick, “Environmental Protection, Population Change, and Economic Development in the Rural Western United States,” Population and Environment 24, no. 3 (2003): 255–72; and Frentz et al., “Public Lands and Population growth,” Society and Natural Resources 17 (2004): 57–68; and Ralf Buckley, Conservation Tourism (Wallingford: CABI, 2010).
14 Ralf Buckley, Ecotourism: Principles and Practices (Wallingford: CAB International, 2009); and Venter et al., “Harnessing Carbon Payments to Protect Biodiversity,” Science 326 (2009): 1368 and Johnston, Margaret and Robert Payne. “Ecotourism and Regional Transformation in Northwestern Ontario.” In Nature-based Tourism in Peripheral Areas: Development or Disaster, ed. C. Michael Hall and Stephen Boyd, 21–35. Clevedon: Channel View Publications, 2005.
15 Klas Sandell, “Access, Tourism and Democracy: A Conceptual Framework and the Non-establishment of a Proposed National Park in Sweden,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 5, no. 1 (2005): 63–75; and Linda Lundmark and Olof Stjernström, “Environmental Protection: An Instrument for Regional Development? National Ambitions versus Local Realities in the Case of Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 9, no. 4 (2009): 387–405.
16 Carina Keskitalo and Linda Lundmark, “The Controversy over Protected Areas and Forest-Sector Employment in Norrbotten, Sweden: Forest Stakeholder Perceptions and Statistics,” Society and Natural Resources: An International Journal 23, no. 2 (2010): 146–64.
17 Ralf Buckley, Conservation Tourism (Wallingford: CABI, 2010).
18 Jan Mosedale and Julia Albrecht, “Tourism Regulation and Relational Geography. The Global, Local and Everything in Between,” in Political Economy of Tourism: A Critical Perspective, ed. Jan Mosedale (London: Routledge, 2011), 243–55.
19 Ralf Buckley, Ecotourism: Principles and Practices (Wallingford: CAB International, 2009).
20 Zbignew Karpowicz, “The Challenge of Ecotourism – Application and Prospects for Implementation in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia,” The Tourist Review 3 (1993): 28–40; Pascal Tremblay, Diane Pearson, and Julian Gorman, “Destination Planning and the Sustainability of Wildlife Tourism Resources: Ongoing Challenges for Knowledge Integration,” Tourism and Hospitality Planning and Development 5, no. 3 (2008): 257–76; and John Jenkins, Dianne Dredge, and Jessica Taplin, “Destination Planning and Policy: Process and Practice,” in Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications, ed. Youcheng Wang and Abraham Pizam (Wallingford: CABI, 2011), 21–38.
21 Jan Mosedale and Julia Albrecht, “Tourism Regulation and Relational Geography. The Global, Local and Everything in Between,” in Political Economy of Tourism: A Critical Perspective, ed. Jan Mosedale (London: Routledge, 2011), 243–55.
22 Ibid.
23 Peter Fredman and Liisa Tyrväinen, “Frontiers in Nature‐based Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 10, no. 3 (2010): 177–89; and Linda Lundmark and Olof Stjernström, “Environmental Protection: An Instrument for Regional Development? National Ambitions versus Local Realities in the Case of Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 9, no. 4 (2009): 387–405.
24 Risvoll et al., “Does Pastoralists’ Participation in the Management of National Parks in Northern Norway Contribute to Adaptive Governance?” Ecology and Society 19, no. 2 (2014): 71, http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06658-190271.
25 Ralf Buckley, Conservation Tourism (Wallingford: CABI, 2010); and Katarina Eckerberg, “Local Participation and Learning in Nature Protection: A Swedish Success Story,” in Governance, Democracy and Sustainable Development: Moving Beyond the Impasse, ed. James Meadowcroft, Oluf Langhelle, and Aaudun Ruud (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012), 55–74.
26 Sissel Hovik, Camilla Sandström, and Anna Zachrisson, “Management of Protected Areas in Norway and Sweden: Challenges in Combining Central Governance and Local Participation,” Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 12, no. 2 (2010): 159–77.
27 Peter Fredman and Liisa Tyrväinen, “Frontiers in Nature‐based Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 10, no. 3 (2010): 177–89.
28 Linda Lundmark and Olof Stjernström, “Environmental Protection: An Instrument for Regional Development? National Ambitions versus Local Realities in the Case of Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 9, no. 4 (2009): 387–405.
29 Peter Fredman and Michael Yuan, “Primary Economic Impacts at Three Spatial Levels: The Case of Fulufjället National Park, Sweden,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 11 (2011): 74–8.
30 Sissel Hovik, Camilla Sandström, and Anna Zachrisson, “Management of Protected Areas in Norway and Sweden: Challenges in Combining Central Governance and Local Participation,” Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 12, no. 2 (2010): 159–77; and Katarina Eckerberg, “Local Participation and Learning in Nature Protection: A Swedish Success Story,” in Governance, Democracy and Sustainable Development: Moving Beyond the Impasse, ed. James Meadowcroft, Oluf Langhelle, and Aaudun Ruud (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012), 55–74.
31 Ryan Plummer and David Fennel, “Managing Protected Areas for Sustainable Tourism: Prospects for Adaptive Co-management,” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 17, no. 2 (2009): 149–68.
32 Paul Eagles, “Governance of Recreation and Tourism Partnerships in Parks and Protected Areas,” Journal of Sustainable tourism 17, no. 2 (2009): 231–48.
33 Ryan Plummer and David Fennel, “Managing Protected Areas for Sustainable Tourism: Prospects for Adaptive Co-management,” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 17, no. 2 (2009): 149–68.
34 European Commission, “Environment. What is the Aarhus Convention?” 2014, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/aarhus/ (accessed January 4, 2015).
35 Carina Keskitalo, Olof Stjernström, and Maria Pettersson, Role of Participation in the Planning Process. Examples from Sweden (Department of Geography and Economic History, Umeå University, in press).
36 FSSS (Federal Service of State Statistics), “Demography,” 2014, http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/population/demography/ (accessed October 15, 2014).
37 Elizaveta Vassilieva, “Nenets Salaries Boost by 1650%,” Barents Observer, 2014, http://barentsobserver.com/en/business/2014/05/nenets-salaries-boost-1650-13-05 (accessed June 5, 2014).
38 Albina Pashkevich and Olof Stjernström, “Making Russian Arctic Accessible for Tourists: Analysis of the Institutional Barriers,” Polar Geography 37, no. 2 (2014): 137–56.
39 Pashkevich, Albina. “Tourism Development Planning and Product Development in the Context of Russian Arctic Territories.” In From Talk to Action: How Tourism is Changing the Polar Regions, ed. Harvey R. Lemelin, Patrick. Maher, and Daniela Liggett, 41–60. Ontario: Centre for Northern Studies Press, Lakehead University, 2013.
40 Anne Matilainen and Merja Lähdesmäki, “Nature-based Tourism in Private Forests: Stakeholder Management Balancing the Interests of Entrepreneurs and Forest Owners?” Journal of Rural Studies 35 (2014): 70–9.
41 EPNT (Especially Protected Nature Territories), “Especially Protected Nature Territories of Russian Federation,” 2014, http://www.zapoved.ru/education/rules (accessed October 10, 2014).
42 WWF, “The Modern System of Nature Protection in Russia,” 2014, http://www.wwf.ru/about/what_we_do/reserves/info/statistics (accessed October 10, 2014).
43 EPNT (Especially Protected Nature Territories), “Especially Protected Nature Territories of Russian Federation,” 2014, http://www.zapoved.ru/education/rules (accessed October 10, 2014).
44 GAO (Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast), Concept of the System of Especially Protected Natural Territories of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Legislative Document (Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast: Arkhangelsk, 2011).
45 Felix Shtilmark, “Understanding of Total Nature Preservation is Almost Lost,” 2005, http://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/press/press2005/gum-ekol-jur1-2005.html (accessed June 13, 2013); and Vsevolod Stepanitsky, “Ecological Tourism at Specially Protected Areas. Problems and Prospects” (Proceedings of the International Conference, “Innovative Policies for Heritage Safeguarding and Cultural Tourism Development,” Moscow, 25–27 November, 102–105, 2005).
46 Ibid.
47 Jon Pierre and B. Guy Peters, Governing Complex Societies: Trajectories and Scenarios (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).
48 Sissel Hovik and Marit Reitan, “National Environmental Goals in Search of Local Institutions,” Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 22, no. 5 (2004): 687–99.
49 Klas Sandell, “Access, Tourism and Democracy: A Conceptual Framework and the Non-establishment of a Proposed National Park in Sweden,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 5, no. 1 (2005): 63–75; and Sandstrom, Camilla, Sissel Hovik, and Eva I. Falleth, ed. "Omstridda naturresurser. Trender och utmaningar i nordisk naturvårds- och naturresursförvaltning" [Debated Natural Resources. Trends and Challenges in the Nordic Nature Resource Management]. Umea: Borea, 2008..
50 NAO Administration, “Legislative Powers of NAO’s Government,” 2014, http://adm-nao.ru// (accessed August 5, 2014).
51 GAO (Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast), Concept of the System of Especially Protected Natural Territories of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Legislative Document (Arkhangelsk: Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast, 2011).
52 Agency of Natural Resources and Environment of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Charter of Centre of Natural Use and Protection of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Legislative Document Adopted December 29, 2010 (Arkhangelsk: Agency of Natural Resources and Environment, 2010).
53 GAO (Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast), Statement Concerning the Agency of the Natural Resources and Environment of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Legislative Document (Arkhangelsk: Government of Arkhangelsk Oblast, 2009).
54 Kenozero, “The History of the Activities During the 2013,” http://kenozero.ru/o-parke/2013-god.html-0 (accessed November 21, 2013).
55 Ibid.
56 Albina Pashkevich and Olof Stjernström, “Making Russian Arctic Accessible for Tourists: Analysis of the Institutional Barriers,” Polar Geography 37, no. 2 (2014): 137–56.
57 Peter Fredman and Liisa Tyrväinen, “Frontiers in Nature‐based Tourism,” Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 10, no. 3 (2010): 177–89.
58 Sissel Hovik, Camilla Sandström, and Anna Zachrisson, “Management of Protected Areas in Norway and Sweden: Challenges in Combining Central Governance and Local Participation,” Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 12, no. 2 (2010): 159–77.
59 Anne Matilainen and Merja Lähdesmäki, “Nature-based Tourism in Private Forests: Stakeholder Management Balancing the Interests of Entrepreneurs and Forest Owners?” Journal of Rural Studies 35 (2014): 70–9.