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Exploring Adventure in https://www.facebook.com/UNILADAdventure/videos/1832534587076020/

TRISH DOUGLAS [email protected] Why choose Iceland as a case study?

Something different – students unlikely to have travelled there

Wide range of tourist activities which are likely to appeal to students – hence focus on adventure tourism

A range of accessible data

Lots of discussion on positives and negatives of tourism for Iceland

Lots of links to physical geography - an aspect which some teachers want more of in this unit: volcanic activity (links to Unit 1: geological hazards) and (links to Unit 3: melting ice sheets & glaciers)

I was lucky enough to go there last year (unfortunately too far for fieldwork with my class)! Links to study design Outcome 1: On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain the nature of tourism at a range of scales. This is a national scale example Key knowledge – particular links: • the location and distribution of different types of tourism and tourist destinations • factors affecting the different types of tourism at selected locations from two different parts of theworld Outcome 2: On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse and explain the impacts of tourism on people, places and environments and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for managing tourism. Key knowledge – particular links: • the environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts of tourism • the range and effectiveness of management strategies in response to the impacts of tourism • the role of planning for sustainable outcomes in tourism. What is adventure tourism? Adventure Travel Trade Association - a tourist activity that includes a physical activity, a cultural exchange, or activities in nature. ... Adventure tourism is about connecting with a new culture or a new landscape and being physically active at the same time. UNWTO definition - adventure tourism is a trip that contains at least two of the following three elements: Physical activity, Natural environment, and Cultural immersion - Different people have different perceptions of what might constitute “adventure” - element of risk - step outside comfort zone - ‘soft’ versus ‘hard’ adventure activities Why Iceland? https://www.facebook.com/guidetoiceland.is/videos/1191474514285620/

- Largely natural environment - Wide variety of physical activities available - Cater for varying elements of risk - Varying cultural experiences Geographic characteristics: - location - size Might these help or hinder tourism? Climatic characteristics - summer versus winter: - how and why does climate vary? - how seasonal is tourism?

https://notendur.hi.is/oi/satellite_photos.htm Consider implications for tourism Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream so has a milder climate than expected for this latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Temperatures:

Greatest precipitation in the south Common saying: "If you don’t like the weather right now, just wait five minutes” - strong variability Hours of daylight vary considerably: mid-May to mid-August the sun only sets approx. 3 hours per day; midwinter, about 5 hours of effective daylight. Topography – what advantages & disadvantages could this present for tourism? http://www.grida.no/resources/5318

https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/how-it-works.html Useful App to explore topography in more detail (can use for other case studies too, including fieldwork) Iceland is volcanically active. An eruption every 4 years on average It is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which marks the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates. The interior highlands feature sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Many fjords punctuate Iceland's coastline, which is also where most settlements are situated. http://ryan.dey1.com/map/iceland.jpg Human characteristics Population – 338, 175 estimated 2018 http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/grump-v1-population- Population distribution – 2/3 in south west in and around capital city density/maps?contains=iceland&facets=region: of Reykjavik

Population density is lowest of any European country – 3 per km2 97% urban Roughly 85 percent of Iceland’s energy is from renewable resources, and well over half of that is geothermal alone. https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries/is/land-use-state-and-impacts-iceland/LandUseSIFig2.png/view

What are the implications for Tourism? So, let’s look at the tourist industry

The Icelandic Tourist Board has a great range of available data with extensive reports published for 2009 onwards These examples are for International tourists – Domestic tourists are reported separately

https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/recearch-and-statistics/tourism-in-iceland-in-figures Visitor data by month and origin -much of the data is in table format too so you can get students to do their own graphs - also some nice basic data interpretations - note: cruise ship data reported separately Spatial and temporal scales Visitor characteristics Survey of in regard to the impacts of tourism Marketing https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/activity-tours-iceland

Extreme Iceland offers a large selection of activities in Iceland, all year round. , caving, hiking, super jeep tours, snowmobiling and much more. Check out our selection below... Summer or winter, doesn't matter, you can always have fun in Iceland. Extreme Iceland offers activity tours from Reykjavik, and many other locations in Iceland. We also offer meet-on-location tours for those who have a rental car and top-rated guided tours to Iceland's most popular attractions. See the amazing scenery of Landmannalaugar, bathe in the Blue Lagoon or explore the Golden Circle. Travel to the "Center of the earth" at Snaefellsnes or Gaze at the northern lights. If you're feeling adventurous we also offer glacier hiking, rafting, horse riding, or caving tours into an ancient lava tunnel! Concentration of tourism in south west Most well known tourist attraction in Iceland https://guidetoiceland.is/best-of-iceland/top-12-things-to-do-in-iceland Pingvellir National Park Having to cater for increased tourism Geysir and Gulfoss – some of the highest tourist numbers Iceland is home to one of the world's largest colonies of puffins (8-10 million). Dwindling numbers a concern. Tourists scaling cliffs to get a better photo! Management issues In Reykjavik restaurants serve ‘taste of Iceland’ – whale, puffin and beef For tourists venturing further, the Ring Road is the main (often only) route –typically taking 6- 10 days

More adventure tourism sites being developed away from the SW That unpronounceable volcano! Hiking Eyjafjallajokull Come along on a thrilling snowmobile adventure on the ice of Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. This tour is for anyone who wants to pack their holiday with active days and do more than just sightseeing. You will meet your group and guides on location (check your voucher, as this changes by season), before hopping into a super jeep capable of handling this volcanic island's challenging terrain. Together, you will make your way through the countryside, then begin to ascend the mighty Vatnajökull glacier. After receiving some instructions from your guides, and all the necessary safety equipment, you’ll set off.

Super jeep and snow mobile tours attract a wide range of tourists Glacier hiking is increasingly popular Not everything like the images – especially the weather! Jökulsárlón Glacier Lake Horse riding tours So what to do with this? - data interpretation exercises – geographic characteristics; tourism data - students plan their own 6-10 day tour of Iceland for themselves or centred around a particular demographic - students examine the impact of volcanic eruptions on tourism – Eyjafjallajokull example - students develop a campaign to encourage more tourism to beyond the south west and/or in non-peak times of the year - students examine the positive and negative impacts of – see attached references for starting points - students examine policies to manage tourism in Iceland – see references – and evaluate their effectiveness - GIS exercise – next slide Using GIS https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Z6VqQXTWN-zVPcNqA4WD43oDQGV6n0um&ll=65.89155947233985%2C-17.312956476562476&z=6

- Can use for an activity describing distributions of various features - Could do in groups or individually - Get students to compare distribution of 2 or more features - Look at spatial associations e.g. between hiking and waterfalls - Think about implications of the distribution of these features for tourism management https://www.facebook.com/guidetoiceland.is/ Guide to Iceland – excellent short clips Icelandic tourist bureau https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/recearch-and-statistics/tourism-in-iceland-in-figures Data provided 2009-2017 in a detailed brochure "Tourism in Iceland in Figures" - Resources contains information regarding number of tourist arrivals, overnight stays, travel behaviour

https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/static/files/ferdamalastofa/Frettamyndir/2017/januar/s unarkonnun/sumar-2016-islensk.pdf International visitor survey –detailed information on visitor responses – can get for 2011-2016

https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/recearch-and-statistics/numbers-of-foreign-visitors foreign visitor data over time –including in excel format – could use for graphing/mapping exercise

https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/quality-and-environment/the-tourist-site-protection- fund Tourist site protection fund

https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/licences-legislation/tourism-administration-act Tourism Administration Act More resources what do people do? https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-travel-bloggers/10833/7-must-do-adventure-activities-in-iceland 7 must do adventure activities in Iceland

Impacts https://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/europe/tourism-boom-to-pictureperfect-iceland-is- ruining-its-delicate-environment/news-story/1367b915f3b4f18ddf8157e31b33e55a https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/iceland-tourism-epidemic-180409091406089.html https://skift.com/iceland-tourism/ Iceland and the trials of 21st century tourism https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/changing-travel-unacceptable-now/ impact on wildlife https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/sustainable-tourism-in-iceland Sustainable tourism in Iceland https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/development/destination-management-plans-dmps Destination Management Plans Lonely Planet Guide Iceland https://www.slideshare.net/ismoiljonovshuhrat/adventure-tourism-45581870 adventure tourism information