Protected Areas and Tourism in the New Normal: An Analysis of Temporal and Scalar Tensions of Sustainable Tourism Governance in the Finnish Arctic

Abstract

Abstract

This chapter critically evaluates dominant sustainable tourism governance ideals in the context of the pandemic-induced tourism growth in protected areas. We particularly focus on the Nordics, especially Finland, where free access to nature plays a culturally significant role in protected area use. In more detail, the chapter investigates the temporal and scalar complexities and tensions related to prevalent tourism-conservation governance ideals in protected areas, suggesting that short-term, on-site management strategies to alleviate crowding may compromise broader sustainability objectives in the long-term. This chapter highlights the challenges in balancing conservation and economic benefits, emphasising the growing importance of accounting for climate change and resilience of protected area management in the Arctic. The chapter concludes with a call for reassessing governance practices’ scale and temporality to ensure sustainable tourism management amidst emerging challenges.