Safe adventures. An ethnographic study of safety and adventure guides in Arctic Norway

Abstract

With numerous entrepreneurs already established within the area, adventure tourism is a growing industry within Arctic Norway. The continuously expanding interest for the phenomenon has gained universities’ attention with recent education programs for guides being established. A cultural change involving a more professionalized approach to adventure tourism has also been noticed. At the forefront of ensuring tourists’ safety are the guides, who work in the area. In former research on safety in adventure tourism, scholars have focused on how aspects, such as guides’ working conditions, communication along with diversity of guests and cultural differences influence safety in adventure tourism products. This thesis focuses on adventure tourism and safety based on an ethnographic study of guides in Arctic Norway. The thesis contributes to reflections and discussions on the topic of safety in adventure tourism. It also opens up new understandings of safety in a Norwegian context, through the close relationship it has with the tradition of friluftsliv. The findings in this thesis offer the reader insight into how the complex role of adventure tourism guiding, and guides working environment influence safety issues.