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Increasing Role of Tourism in Finnish National Parks

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Increasing Role of Tourism in Finnish National Parks Increasing role of tourism in Finnish national parks RIIKKA PUHAKKA Puhakka, Riikka (2008). Increasing role of tourism in Finnish national parks. Fennia 186: 1, pp. 47–58. Helsinki. ISSN 0015-0010. While the role of traditional livelihoods has decreased, tourism has become an important tool for regional development in northern peripheral areas, and the economic and political expectations have increased. National parks have be- come attractive tourist destinations also in Finland. This article analyses how the central stakeholders – park authorities, tourists and tourism entrepreneurs – per- ceive the role of tourism in Finnish national parks. Parks are understood as spac- es constructed by historical and social practices; the role of tourism is thus nei- ther historically nor culturally unchanging or indisputable. By analysing plan- ning documents and interviews, the study identifies four discourses that define the interaction between nature conservation and tourism in Finnish parks: 1) national parks as conservation areas, 2) national parks as tourist destinations, 3) national parks as destinations of sustainable nature-based tourism, and 4) na- tional parks as resources for local people. The study indicates that the role of tourism has increased in national parks in Finland. Nowadays the aim is to inte- grate the ecological goals of nature conservation and the economic goals of nature-based tourism by implementing the principles of sustainability. The pos- sible effects of the recent discursive shift on the future development of protected areas are also discussed in the article. Riikka Puhakka, Department of Geography, University of Joensuu & Thule Insti- tute, PO Box 7300, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland. E-mail: riikka.puhak- ka@oulu.fi. Introduction aged mainly for ecosystem protection and recrea- tion” (IUCN & UNEP 2003: 12). The Finnish Na- As a result of the growth of nature-based tourism ture Conservation Act (1096/1996) defines that a (see Fennell 1999; Hall & Page 1999), national national park ”should hold general interest as a parks have become important tourist attractions in natural attraction, or with respect to raising gen- Finland. The visitor numbers have increased fast in eral awareness of or interest in nature”. Conserva- parks since the 1990s, and many tourist destina- tion is, however, stated to be a more important tions are situated close to national parks particu- function than outdoor recreation, environmental larly in the northern part of the country. While the education or scientific research (Metsähallitus role of primary production has decreased, nature- 2000: 9–10; see Heinonen 2007). Tourism and based tourism has become an important tool for other economic activities are restricted on these regional development in northern peripheral areas state-owned lands; there are not usually, for exam- (Saarinen 2003, 2005). ple, hotels, skiing slopes or motorized activities Since the first national parks were designated, inside national parks in Finland. The interaction they have been given a double role both as the between conservation and tourism is often seen as destinations of nature conservation and recreation symbiotic, but it can also cause conflicts (Bu- and tourism (e.g. Runte 1997; Mels 1999; Boyd & dowski 1976). Butler 2000; Rytteri & Puhakka 2009). In the Pro- While the economic and political expectations tected Area Management Categories adopted by are increasing, it is interesting to study the role of the World Conservation Union, a national park tourism in national parks. This article, based on (category II) is defined as a “protected area man- the author’s doctoral dissertation of cultural geog- 48 Riikka Puhakka FENNIA 186: 1(2008) raphy (Puhakka 2007), analyses how the central able. Therefore, it is not irrelevant what kind of stakeholders of Finnish parks – park authorities, meanings different stakeholders attribute to na- tourists and tourism entrepreneurs – perceive the tional parks and to their goals; the hegemonic role of tourism as part of the grounds of nature principles and practices may change over time. conservation and the use of national parks. In this The various ideas of the interaction between na- text, the concept of tourism refers to the all use of ture conservation and tourism can be understood parks for recreational purposes. After presenting as discourses. They are ways of referring to or con- the theoretical background, the article introduces structing knowledge about a particular topic; they shortly the common Finnish history of nature con- make it possible to understand a topic in a certain servation and tourism. Furthermore, the chapter way and restrict other possibilities for presenting analyses the recent structural changes in conserva- it. Discourses are constructed in a certain socio- tion and tourism, which have resulted in the in- cultural context, and at the same time they con- creasing role of tourism in parks. On the basis of struct and change the present social reality. De- the historical review and research materials – plan- spite several competing discourses, there exists ning documents and interviews – the study identi- one way of speech and thought that is more domi- fies four discourses that define the interaction be- nant than the others at a certain period of time. tween nature conservation and tourism in national Discourses are not only words and meanings, but parks in Finland. To sum up, the various effects of they affect the physical environment through prac- the recent discursive shift on the future develop- tices (e.g. Hajer 1995; Hall 1997). Knowledge, ment of protected areas are discussed. truth and power are intertwined in discourses (Rabinow 1986). Power relations between dis- courses change over time; in this hegemonic strug- Socially constructed national parks gle, some meanings and images succeed in defin- ing ‘the truth’ about national parks, for example, In this article, the questions of tourism in national better than the others. Discourse institutionaliza- parks are connected to the theoretical discussion tion means that a discourse is translated into insti- of human-nature interaction, which increased in tutional arrangements and concrete policies (Hajer cultural geography in the 1990s (see Castree 1995: 61). The dominant, institutionalized dis- 2005). National parks are not understood as artic- course defining the interaction between conserva- ulations of untouched wilderness but rather as tion and tourism directs the management and land spaces constructed by historical and social prac- use of national parks. tices (Mels 1999). According to geographer Ken- neth Olwig (1995), parks are as much about the national identity as about physical nature since Common history of nature nature is also a realm of cultural ideas and norms. conservation and tourism Nature conservation is a political and societal ac- tivity; it is a contested idea which accommodates The discussion about the recreational role of pro- new meanings and values. The objects, aims and tected areas started long before the first national means of conservation change with time and parks and strict nature reserves were officially place, and they direct the management and land founded in Finland in 1938. Three phases can be use of national parks. Above all, nature conserva- identified on the basis of the Finnish discussion tion “entails judgments as to what indeed is na- about the interaction between conservation and ture” (Macnaghten & Urry 1998: 23). Nature is tourism from the latter part of the 1800s until the culturally defined as worth protecting, and nation- present (Sorsa 2004; Puhakka 2007). al parks are managed and used according to so- In the first phase, which lasted from the latter cially defined principles. Even in a rather short part of the 1800s until the end of the 1960s, con- period of time, there have been clear changes in servation and tourism were seen to support and the basis of conservation (e.g. Runte 1997; Niemi- benefit each other. Already in the 1800s, some nen & Saaristo 1998). nature-based attractions were preserved for aes- Although national parks have had recreational thetic and touristic reasons in Finland. Nature con- and touristic goals since the early stage of the park servation and domestic tourism were connected movement, the role of tourism in parks is neither with the formation of national identity (see also historically nor culturally unchanging or indisput- Runte 1997; Mels 1999). The first national parks FENNIA 186: 1(2008) Increasing role of tourism in Finnish national parks 49 were sights for all citizens, and they were mainly human activities (Nieminen & Saaristo 1998). The established in scenic areas which already had principles of participatory planning have increased some tourism infrastructure. Nevertheless, the ar- local residents’ formal possibilities to get involved guments of tourism achieved less attention in Fin- in the decision-making of nature conservation (see land than in some other countries due to the strong Raitio 2008). In addition, the structural changes natural scientific perspective. For example, in the related to the demand for and supply of tourism United States acceptance for the park idea was have influenced the growth of nature-based tour- sought by promoting tourism intensively in nation- ism (see Fennell 1999; Hall & Page 1999). So- al parks; the aim was to benefit from these other- called ‘new tourism’ (Poon 1993) includes more wise worthless lands by means of tourism (Boyd & flexible, individual and consumer-driven
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