Journal of Tourism & Hospitality
Open Access

Abstract

Critical Tourism: Assessing Snow-Based Practice in Finnish Lapland

Ayonghe Akonwi Nebasifu and Francisco Cuogo

Touring, traveling, or moving from one place to another for purpose of business, leisure, either locally or internationally, is known as tourism. In many countries, tourism forms an integral part of economic development through job creation, infrastructural investments, and income provision. One of the root causes for global tourism growth has been the industrial revolution in Great Britain around the 19th century. This was characterized by a transition from hand production to use of machinery, including improved steam and water power, emergence of textile industry, new modes of iron production, which all became known as factory system. Entrepreneurship and consumerism served as driving forces for the industrial revolution which then expanded around the world. By the 20th century, the movement of people across regions enhanced following improvements in transportation. However, the revolution also meant an increase demand for workers in factories. Apart from industrial work, leisure accounted for movement of people during breaks from work. Although mass movement may result to income growth, it equally raises pertinent questions of how environments are constructed to suit the needs of people arriving, what kind of threats emerge from such destinations and perhaps what can be done to address such problems? Thus, this paper uses a review of web-based texts and critical tourism approach to seek an understanding of tourism from different perspectives which address the potentials and threats in tourism. Using the case of Finnish Lapland, our observations show that snow is essential to boosting tourism. However, habits towards climate change are a threat to sustaining snow tourism in the region. The paper then proposes economic diversification as a way forward.