The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Managing High Arctic Tourism Sites: A Collective Action Perspective

Marta Bystrowska,Daniela Liggett,Karin Wigger

doi:10.3390/resources6030033

Marta Bystrowska, Daniela Liggett + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030033

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Abstract

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.

Highlights

In the fragile Arctic natural environment, the quality of tourism depends on sustainable management of tourism sites [1,2,3]
Through increased noticeability, the creation of artificial proximity and the development of new management practices, information and communication technology (ICT) can help to overcome the challenges for collective action that are posed by the Arctic environment
Our data suggests that ICT can be employed as a management tool which has the potential of playing an important role in the sustainable management of tourism

Summary

Introduction

In the fragile Arctic natural environment, the quality of tourism depends on sustainable management of tourism sites [1,2,3]. Natural resources accessed in Arctic tourism are often non-exclusive, which means that they are open to access by various actors. Prior studies qualify such resources as the commons [4,5] and conclude that the exploitation of common-pool resources (CPR) for tourism purposes can result in environmental depletion and degradation [6,7]. Scholars in the field claim that governmental regulations alone are insufficient to ensure the environmental quality of tourism sites and recommend involving tourism operators in the management of tourism sites to ensure their sustainability [7,11,12]. The management of vulnerable tourism sites requires collective action by tourism operators to sustain tourism activities [11]

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