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The article discusses creative tourism in the small village of Húnaþing vestra, Iceland. It highlights the case of the Icelandic Seal Center, established in 2005 by a group of locals who recognized an interest in seal-watching tourism and developed sustainable community tourism which has served as a community-building, placemaking project, and has led to a revitalization of the entire region.

This conceptual paper develops a framework that addresses the need to manage human-wildlife interactions in Arctic settings to ensure positive outcomes for wildlife, local people, and visitors. We argue that managers tasked with meeting these needs should do so in a cultural context where ethical frameworks are guided by sustainable and responsible management practices, however, these strategies are often absent in the literature. By reviewing current literature that investigates theoretical and practical understandings of wildlife watching management we build a methodological foundation for approaching wildlife watching management and identify the need for future management actions that include participation of multiple stakeholder groups. Taking a systems thinking approach we build a case for implementation of our Ethical Management Framework (EMF). Application of the framework is exemplified through a case study of seal watching management in Iceland. Our new framework can be applied in a wider range of wildlife tourism settings worldwide. [Display omitted] • Management plans for wildlife watching activities are limited. • Management actions should incorporate ethical considerations for all stakeholders. • Understanding responsibility and sustainability in a cultural context is essential. • A case study of seal watching in Iceland is used. • An Ethical Management Framework for wildlife watching is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]