
SLM FOCUS NORTH
VIU’s Sustainable Leisure Management (SLM) Program involved in the design and piloting of a joint Master’s in Northern Tourism with University of the Arctic (UArctic) partners As the Arctic has increased its presence in global public attention (think geopolitical tensions, climate change, and globalization), it has also become an increasingly popular tourism destination. To address the need for tourism related education based on multidisciplinary learning, training and research, several leading tourism scholars and educators from across the Circumpolar north supported the creation of the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism as part of the University of the Arctic. Since 2008, multidisciplinary research projects on Arctic tourism have taken place among the network members, and an initial plan for a joint master’s degree on northern tourism was formed as part of an on-going discussion.
Vancouver Island University is a UArctic member and, through the work of faculty member Dr. Suzanne de la Barre, jointly submitted a funding application to develop and pilot a Master’s in Northern Tourism with six other member institutions. The application to the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation for Education’s High North Programme was successful, and Suzanne will accompany three students on the first course of the pilot programme. She is one of six instructors from four other institutions involved in the field-based course: the University of Lapland, the Arctic University of Norway, Cape Breton University, and the University of Oulu.
Students will plan, conduct and report on developing this remote location into a bird watching destination. Research skills and applied knowledge are the learning objectives and will occur through seminars, fieldwork, presentations to stakeholders, and reporting in ways that may also advance students’ own thesis research.
Why stop at Norway? Suzanne and students will stopover in Iceland on the way back to Canada and participate in the International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) conference (http://www.rmf.is/en/conferences/5th-international-polar-tourism-research-network-iptrn). They will present their individual research, and also collaborate on a panel presentation that will reflect on the UArctic Norway field course and its case study.
For more information on the UArctic pilot project or on the IPTRN, please contact Dr. Suzanne de la Barre: suzanne.delabarre@viu.ca
SLM Focus North: 23rd August 2016
We’ve arrived! The SLM Focus North gang has made it to Alta, Norway - the City of Northern Lights. After checking into our hotel, we met up with the other Canadian students from Cape Breton University for dinner at Du Verden restaurant for some traditional Norwegian fare, including reindeer, whale and Nordland Pils (Norwegian beer).
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Vancouver Island University (VIU) team and Cape Breton University (CBU) team leaving from Oslo, Norway to Alta, Norway for the Field School. |
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