"I love not man less, but nature more", Lord Byron wrote, indicating our sometimes intimate relationship with nature. In nature-based tourism, the ability to pass on heartfelt and sincere nature experiences to customers is crucial for the quality of the product. The excitements and joys of nature can link up with tourism in many different ways. What happens in such meetings, how can they be successful, and in what ways?
Speakers: Sølvi Monsen owns and runs the Gargia Lodge outside Alta, on the edge of the Finnmark Plateau. She will tell about the life-changing event of moving to the small village of Gargia and starting up this business, what inspires her work, and the challenges that running a business like this may involve. Outi Rantala is a researcher at the Department of Tourism and Northern Studies at Uit The Arctic University of Norway, Campus Alta. Drawing on studies from Finish Lapland, she will talk about sleeping practices in nature-based tourism. Gaute Svensson is a PhD-student at Halti National Park Centre. His presentation focuses on meetings between local norms about outdoor life and nature-based tourism.