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Excursions to the estimated 55 firefly sanctuaries of Mexico have seen phenomenal growth in the past decade. Visits to three firefly entomotourism destinations in the state of Tlaxcala (Canto del B...

Wildlife tourism is often associated with charismatic megafauna in the public imagination (e.g., safaris, whale watching, bear viewing). Entomotourism (insect-focused tourism) typically is not on the radar, but each year thousands of peoples visit monarch butterfly congregations and glow worm caves, and participate in guided firefly outings. Elsewhere, millions of peoples visit butterfly pavilions, insectariums, and bee museums. Calculations of visitation numbers aside, researchers in tourism studies have largely ignored the appeal of these animals, relegating these types of activities to the recreational fringe. By highlighting the popularity of entomotourism, this article challenges the vertebrate bias prevalent in the social sciences and seeks to move entomotourism from the margins to the mainstream of research on tourism in human/animal studies.

The practice of raising stingless bees in artificial nests for honey, wax, and resin – a process known as meliponicultura – was well developed at the time of the Spanish colonization of the America...

A Personal Meaning of Insects Map (pmim) was administered to participants from eastern Canada and northeastern United States. In the four-phase inductive study, participant responses to insects were coded and analyzed. Responses were elicited prior to and after viewing an insect video. Responses regarding the most cited insects, negative and positive associations with insects, and suggested management and education strategies were examined. Participants also discussed how information was acquired from various sources. The findings suggest that perceptions of insects are contextualized and sometimes inaccurate relative to scientific taxonomy. Research and the development of education strategies that take into account how the general public understands (or misunderstands) insects and where it acquires its information would be better served if we were to develop management and educational tools that address human-insect encounters from various socio-cultural perspectives.

Historic sites can facilitate public interaction with controversial topics through “hot interpretation” that promotes affective responses. The goal of this article is to critically analyze the evolution of interpretive messaging of the armed resistance of 1885 at Batoche National Historic Site, Canada, through the lens of hot interpretation. Based on a literature review, interpretation evaluations, and site visits, the authors examine how collaborative management approaches have fostered an evolution in interpretation from the one-truth, to parallel narratives, and finally to the “many voices” approach within the hot interpretation framework. This overview suggest how collaborative management approaches and progressive interpretation strategies can heal the hurt of the past, validate various depictions of history, provide venues for democratic discourse about contested issues, generate new thinking, and support resilient communities.

Considering the fear that spiders can generate in humans, examining human-spider interactions in urban settings may at first glance appear odd. However, human-spider interactions, which occur quite frequently in urban settings, do not necessarily have to be negative; they can, in some cases, foster respect and tolerance (sometimes through avoidance). When one considers how global transformations, invasive species, urbanization, and adaptation will impact human-spider interactions, a review of the literature pertaining to these encounters is timely. We begin this discussion by describing spiders and providing an overview of some of their positive and negative impacts. Challenges regarding species identification and envenoming are also discussed. After the role of biological, psychological, and social aspects in human-spider interactions are re-examined, we provide future options aimed at organizing broad-scale public programs for five specific target groups: 1) the general public, 2) health profess...

This article examines two successful Aboriginal-tourism initiatives in Northern Canada. First, we review the literature on successful tourism indicators; following this review, we provide a rationale for the development of our own indicators and their subsequent application to our case studies. The case studies include the Cree Village Eco Lodge in Northern Ontario and the Spirit Bear Lodge in British Columbia, Canada. Our framework focuses on both indicators for success and evaluations of success. The discussion and conclusion sections examine the value of developing success indicators that capture both tangible and intangible variables and standardizing case study descriptions. We also highlight how the lessons acquired from these case studies can be applied to Northern Canada specifically and peripheral regions generally.

Place attachment is spatially and temporally anchored in the local context, affecting how residents perceive proposed development strategies. As such, we examine, through the analysis of 18 interviews conducted with residents from Rossport, Ontario, Canada, how place attachment and historical antecedents (or lack thereof) have influenced the acceptance of, or opposition to, conservation and tourism strategies in and near the village of Rossport, Ontario. The analysis of the interviews suggests that some of the resistance and scepticism towards conservation and tourism initiatives by long-term residents is rooted in historical approaches to regional development strategies, while a lack of awareness of historical events prevents newer residents, who often supported these initiatives, from understanding the legacy of these proposals in the community. Moreover, analysis indicates that sharing the stories of the community and place attachment through video interviews provides an opportunity to promote ...

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to expand the discussion pertaining to Vimy beyond traditional historic and military circles and to illustrate that the site is a significant tourism attraction featuring evolving management and interpretation approaches. This is achieved by describing the commemoration of First World War sites and the evolution and transformation of visitor typologies at these sites. The conversation is framed within a discussion of the role of heritage dissonance in management. Since this article was written at the onset of the centennial of the Great War, an examination of the management of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which includes a tourism perspective, is timely.Design/methodology/approach– Consisting of participation observations and a review of literature, documentation, government reports and Web sites describing the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, this analysis is complemented by site visits and discussions with key personnel involved in the management of the site.Findings– Because this article precedes the upcoming centennial of the Great War, an examination of the management of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which includes a tourism perspective, is timely. The discussion and conclusion sections provide a suggestion of how dissonant heritage can be addressed, and present an argument for the inclusion of new technologies in the management and interpretation of First World War memorials and the celebrations associated with the centennial of 2014-2019 in order to embrace new visitor types.Research limitations/implications– This is a conceptual paper examining past and current management strategies of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. No participants or manager was interviewed or surveyed.Practical implications– Strategies to improve future management through the engagement of tourism researchers, new technologies and by addressing dissonant heritage are provided through literature review and on-site visits.Social implications– Currently, the management of the Vimy Memorial caters largely to a certain segment of Canadian population. The findings suggest that by addressing other components of Canadian society and even other combatants, the management and interpretation of the site could be greatly diversified and could eventually become a battlefield like Gettysburg or Gallipoli, where all combatants are recognized and honored.Originality/value– This is the first paper examining the management of the Vimy Memorial from a tourism perspective.

Les initiatives de tourisme autochtone se multiplient sur tous les continents et rencontrent un intérêt grandissant sur les marchés d’Europe et d’Amérique du Nord. Dans les régions nordiques du Canada, les Premières Nations ont développé des offres de séjour qui sont extrêmement prometteuses, mais restent encore en nombre limité et ne répondent pas toujours aux aspirations des hôtes (valorisation des territoires, reconquête culturelle et identitaire) et au désir d’immersion culturelle des visiteurs. La région de la baie James habitée par les Premières Nations cries du Québec et de l’Ontario pourrait devenir une destination touristique phare pour le tourisme autochtone au Canada à condition que ses habitants développent une gamme de produits culturels à forte valeur ajoutée identifiée autour de la culture crie, des territoires traditionnels de Eeyou Istchee et de Wiinipekw et de la région naturelle de la baie James. Cet article illustre comment les partenaires cris accompagnés par les chercheurs ont pu développer des routes à thème, des produits culturels, et créer une synergie autour d’un projet d’écologe (forme d’habitat destiné à l’accueil de touristes qui se veut à la fois un lieu d’accueil touristique économiquement viable, mais qui s’insère également dans le milieu naturel qui l’entoure, le but étant de limiter au maximum les impacts négatifs liés au tourisme (Echoway, 2010 )) qui réaffirme les valeurs locales et l’appartenance au territoire. Grâce à des techniques d’enquête collaborative et d’engagement communautaire adaptées au contexte autochtone mobilisant les connaissances et les expertises locales mises en commun dans le cadre d’ateliers de travail, les chercheurs ont pu documenter les processus, revisiter la recherche-action participative et développer une approche mieux adaptée aux Premières Nations qui s’appuie sur le coconstructivisme, la coproduction de connaissances et la valorisation des savoirs locaux. À travers ces ateliers et ces partenariats chercheurs/consultants/Premières Nations se développent des nouvelles méthodologies de recherche autochtone au service du développement économique et de l’autodétermination.

Marine protected area (MPA) proponents suggest that local communities can benefit from the designation effect that ensues from the creation of protected areas. Few studies, however, have examined the designation effect of MPAs. In order to illustrate the existing and potential designation effect of MPA establishment in Northern Canada, case studies and exploratory research instruments consisting of the following indicators—(i) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected area category; (ii) natural heritage (wildlife, landscapes, seascapes); (iii) cultural heritage (authenticity of cultural heritage and sites); (iv) visitor accessibility (air, road); (v) existing service industry and product development (accommodations, restaurants, shops, guiding, information availability); (vi) existing tourism industry and site popularity; (vii) tourism funding opportunities for marketing and product development; (viii) double branding effect from the existence of parks and/or other type of protected area, and (ix) the designation effect—are used to examine the impacts of MPA designation (existing and proposed) in Northern Canada. The analysis suggests that the potential designation effect from four MPAs in Northern Canada is rather limited. Proponents and managers of MPAs would be best served to downplay the role of tourism and examine the role of other factors of local importance like livelihood during MPA designation.

Dans le cadre de notre projet de recherche sur la vulnérabilité et la résilience du tourisme dans l’Arctique, nous avons évalué les interactions entre le changement climatique et le tourisme dans les communautés de l’Arctique canadien. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à la capacité d’adaptation en présentant les résultats d’entrevues menées à Nain au Nunatsiavut, dans la province de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. Alors que de nombreux résidents ont manifesté leur enthousiasme à propos de la nouvelle désignation de leur communauté en tant que point d’entrée du parc national du Canada des Monts-Torngat, il y avait aussi une insatisfaction par rapport à certains aspects du nouveau parc, comme le manque de possibilités d’emplois locaux. Certains se sont montrés optimistes à propos du potentiel encore inexploité que constitue le tourisme (de la croisière aux visites écotouristiques accompagnées de guides locaux), alors que d’autres ont manifesté leur inquiétude. En tenant compte du fait que le développement touristique au Nunatsiavut en est à ses débuts, nous concluons que les stratégies d’adaptation devraient continuer à mettre l’accent sur l’éducation et viser l’information et la mobilisation des résidents dans les initiatives locales et régionales., As part of a research project examining tourism vulnerability and resilience in the Arctic, we assessed the interactions between climate change and tourism in Canadian Arctic communities. In this article, we focus on the capacity for adaptation by analysing interviews from Nain, Nunatsiavut, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. While many local residents were excited about the new designation of their community as a gateway to the Torngat Mountains National Park of Canada, there was also some dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the new park, such as a lack of local employment opportunities. Some participants were optimistic about the untapped tourism potential (from cruise tourism to ecotourism with local guides), while others raised concerns. Considering that tourism is just beginning in Nunatsiavut, we conclude that adaptation strategies should emphasise education, aim to inform residents and engage them in local and regional initiatives.

By incorporating the concept of speciesism into a multi-disciplinary critical approach to animal–human studies in leisure, I provide an overview of anthropomorphism and entomophobia and suggest how these concepts limit our understanding of human–insect encounters. The concentric circles of leisure illustrate how human–insect encounters in rural and urban areas are often influenced by our senses, spatial cues, socio-cultural forces and our perceived need for safety and comfort. In his study of the pluralistic aspects of environmental values, Norton (2000) suggested that we should be cautious in the dichotomy of the opposites and seek to find new approaches that consider the multitude of perspectives, the nuances and inconsistencies that make up human values of nature. Such an approach requires challenging the institutionalised speciesism woven into many aspects of our recreational activities, critiquing the philosophical underpinnings of anthropomorphism and entomophobia, and addressing inter and intra spe...

Tourism may constitute an important livelihood option and conservation incentive for communities located near protected areas (PAs). Gateway communities can benefit significantly from the development of tourism through increased employment, financial gains, infrastructure creation, cultural revitalization, and environmental protection. Yet, tourism is not a panacea for PA communities and the development of a local tourism industry often fails to deliver significant economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits. Clearly defined frameworks for maximizing the benefits from tourism development for PA communities are needed so that tourism can more directly support community development and conservation efforts. This paper presents a framework for appraising and building community capacity for tourism development in aboriginal protected area gateway communities. The framework was developed through the analysis of qualitative results from five different research projects around seven capital assets (i.e., natural, physical and built, financial, political and institutional, social, cultural, and human capitals). Preliminary results from application and testing of the framework are also explored. The framework presented herein has significant potential for broader application in non-aboriginal, international, and non-protected area communities.

Arctic tourism has seen major shifts in the last decade as global events and local developments have affected this industry. This article presents findings of a case study examining tourism changes in Nunavik (northern range of Quebec, Canada). Key informant interviews conducted with tourism operators and managers from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, and Montreal, Quebec, provide an understanding of the changes being experienced by the industry and help to characterize factors that contribute to resilience. Recent events in Nunavik affecting tourism include the controlled caribou sports hunt in 2010–11 and the transformation of Cruise North Expeditions in 2010 from a regionally owned Inuit enterprise to a joint venture between Cruise North and Adventure Canada. These situations provide a picture of a tourism industry in transition, reacting and adapting to change. Tourism diversification strategies include the Aqpik Jam Festival, sled-dog races and the development of specialized cultural tours like Inuit Odyssey, a co...

Global environmental change is altering natural and built systems in many regions of the world and such changes play a significant role in an emerging travel trend that has been labelled ‘last chance tourism’ (LCT). In LCT, tourism demand is based on the desire to see these vulnerable places and features before they disappear or are essentially and irrevocably changed. The paradox in this new form of travel lies in the fact that the tourists often travel long distances and, thus, are disproportionately responsible per capita for increased greenhouse gas emissions and various other stressors that have the potential to alter further the very attractions being visited. The emergence of LCT requires careful ethical consideration and adds a new twist to the debate about ‘loving a destination to death’. In this case, the relationship is indirect and intangible, and is complicated by spatial and temporal lags, as well as the complex system of biophysical interactions at the heart of climate change. LCT presents ...

In order to understand wabusk (polar bear, Ursus maritimus) behaviours and interactions with people in the Hudson Bay lowlands of northern Ontario we conducted this collaborative study of Cree kiskayndamowin/knowledge. Our findings reveal that Cree knowledge supports previously published information on polar bears, while adding further contextual findings: that male polar bears travel greater distances into the muskeg than previously recorded; that wabusk prey on amisk (beaver, Castor canadensis); that wabusk interact with muskwa (black bears, Ursus americanus); and that human-polar bear interactions occur in this region of northern Canada. Bearing in mind that Cree knowledge has been recognized in wildlife management strategies (i.e., for beaver, caribou and moose) elsewhere in Canada, this particular body of information is timely, especially since polar bears are considered threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, and the province is developing a recovery strategy for the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear population. The federal government is also contemplating listing polar bears in Canada as a “species of special concern” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). While it is unclear as to how these decisions will impact the Cree-polar interactions, the listing of polar bears by both governments, but especially the provincial government of Ontario, must recognize treaty and Aboriginal rights, acknowledge its duties to consult and properly accommodate Aboriginal people’s views, incorporate Cree kiskayndamowin/knowledge of wabusk, and re-examine the proposed Wabusk Co-Management Agreement draft developed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and Coastal Cree First Nations of Northern Ontario in 1994. The article provides recommendations that highlight how the Northern Cree First Nations, through the development of the Recovery Strategy for Polar Bear in Ontario, can become engaged in the management of wabusk in Ontario and throughout Canada.

With a substantial amount of natural (e.g., islands, estuaries, shoals) and cultural (e.g., pictographs, lighthouses, shipwrecks) heritage, the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area (LSNMCA), located in Northwestern Ontario, is a protected area steeped in history. Apart from a few exceptions, this region of Ontario has lacked the opportunity to capitalize on potential tourism and recreational opportunities. An historic overview of the region highlights past tourism achievements, such as brook trout fishing in the Nipigon River, and the Rossport Fish Derby, and indicates new tourism opportunities in Northwestern Ontario (e.g., sailing regattas and kayak symposia). The significance of tourism in a region largely dependent upon mining and forestry is also highlighted. The article then reviews the potential role of the LSNMCA in regional tourism development by utilizing Kelleher's levels of stakeholder engagement framework. Although stakeholder involvement in the LSNMCA, according to Kelleher's model, requires further work, the establishment of this protected area (the very first of its kind in Canada) appears to be engaging stakeholders in regional tourism development.

The proposed Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site Project (PPAWHSP), located in the boreal forest of Northern Canada, incorporates the traditional lands of First Nations and protected areas in Ontario and Manitoba. The traditional lands of the Saulteaux/Anishinabek when combined with the protected areas represent a region of natural and wilderness values covering over 43,000 km2. The creation of the PPAWHSP, for all intents and purposes, would establish a transboundary protected area linking protected areas in Ontario and Manitoba with traditional territories of First Nations, foster community-based approaches to protected areas management and promote tourism development in the region. This article provides a description of the site, then discusses how this particular proposed world heritage site (WHS) can learn from existing WHSs in Canada and elsewhere, which are managed partially or wholly with indigenous partners. Special emphasis will also be placed on discussing the issues of effective indigenous inv...

The declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations in 2007 highlights the rights of all Indigenous Peoples to remain distinct while also promoting their full and effective pa...

Many Canadian, resource-based communities are facing an economic crisis and often turn to tourism for economic diversification and some recent trends in the growth of tourism employment in Canada's rural areas suggest that such choices are well founded. Despite positive growth indicators, rural tourism is criticized for several reasons, including issues with employment, ownership and lack of understanding of the industry. Although much has been written on the development of community-based tourism and its potential to address such concerns, much of the discussion remains at theoretical levels, with few examinations of practical frameworks for rural communities in crisis, such as the current experience in North-western Ontario, Canada. Enquiries into tourism's contribution to rural community economic development identified two gaps concerning how rural tourism can be a viable industry in resource-dependent communities and how to embed the industry within a community seeking alternatives from a def...

Individuals visiting natural areas, such as national parks, or engaging in certain outdoor recreation activities like birdwatching, are often assumed to be ecotourists and also concomitantly assumed to be highly specialised by virtue of their behaviour. In this study, tourists visiting the Churchill Wildlife Management Area in Canada to view polar bears are examined using a comprehensive index of specialisation and compared to selected demographic variables and indicators of environmental concern. The results suggest that these visitors reflect a wide range of levels of specialisation, and that the majority of visitors are novices who might not share the same degree of concern for the environment or the same motives for visiting as their more specialised counterparts. Concerns for management of natural areas for wildlife viewing are raised based on these findings.

Ecotourists have largely been defined in the literature a priori based on their geographic location (e.g., visitors to designated natural areas) and/or exhibited behaviors (e.g., engagement in nature viewing such as bird watching or camping). However, such definitions fail to consider whether these individuals do indeed embrace the psychological makeup that would qualify them as "real" ecotourists based on ecotourist ideal types. This study derives a profile of wildlife tourists based on their psychographic characteristics as suggested by conceptual definitions of ecotourists and wildlife tourism in particular. Essentially, the question underlying the study was to determine if all wildlife tourists do, in fact, share those characteristics typically assumed in the literature to be inherent to ecotourism.

The importance of photography to the ‘wildlife gaze’ should come as no surprise since photography is an integral component in the observation of wildlife tourism. Also essential to the experience, yet often overlooked, is the social dynamics of tourism. Fourteen interviews were conducted with eighteen polar bear viewers visiting two protected areas near Churchill Manitoba, Canada. Three main themes emerged from these interviews relating to the characteristics of the experience, perceptions of self and others, and photography. The need for exclusivity, the experiential nature of the trip, and the spiritual nature of the experience were all characteristics of the tourism experience described by participants. Some interviewees viewed themselves as part of a larger group of tourists visiting Churchill, yet still distinctly different from ‘mass’ tourists, while other participants because of their desire to learn or acquire spiritual experiences, viewed themselves as different from all tourists. Finall...

A number of themes and concepts emerged from 18 interviews conducted with polar bear tourists visiting the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, near Churchill, Manitoba. This article focuses on themes relating to environmental dimensions of polar bear tourism. These include environmental concerns, rationalization of wildlife tourism, and perceptions of environmental impacts. By focusing on the human dimensions of wildlife tourism in protected areas, this study provided an opportunity to acquire an understanding of perceived management roles in these protected areas, as well as perceived impacts of the polar bear viewing industry.

The province of Ontario in Canada is the first North American jurisdiction withlegislation in place to eliminate coal-fired thermoelectric production by theend of 2014. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) operates coal-fired stations inOntario, with Atikokan Generating Station being the only facility slated toswitch to 100% woody biomass. It is anticipated that this coal phase out policywill have socio-economic impacts. Because of these anticipated changes, in thispaper, we review the current state of peer-reviewed literature relating to threeburning scenarios (biomass, coal and co-firing) in order to explore theknowledge gaps with regard to socio-economic impacts and identify research needswhich should elucidate the anticipated changes on a community level. We reviewedover 150 sources, which included peer-reviewed articles and non-peer-reviewedgrey literature such as government documents, non-governmental organizationreports and news publications. We found very few peer-reviewed articles relatedto Canadian studies (even fewer for Ontario) which look at woody biomass burningfor thermoelectric production. We identify a number of socio-economic impactassessment tools readily available and present potential criteria required inselecting an appropriate tool for the Ontario context. For any tool to providemeaningful results, we propose that appropriate and robust local data must becollected and analyzed.

1. Introduction: New Issues in Polar Tourism Dieter K. Muller*, Linda Lundmark & Raynald H. Lemelin 2. Looking Back, Venturing Forward: Challenges For Academia, Community and Industry in Polar Tourism Research Patrick T. Maher* 3. What is Arctic Tourism, and Who Should Define It? Arvid Viken* 4. Narrative Frameworks of Consideration: Horizontal and Vertical Approaches to Conceptualising the Sub-Antarctic Eric J. Shelton* 5. Reaching Consensus on Antarctic Tourism Regulation Kees Bastmeijer & Machiel Lamers* 6. The Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessments on Visitor Activity in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica Tanya A. O'Neill*, Megan R. Balks & Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez 7. German Tourism Activities in the Antarctic Area - A Governmental Perspective Manuela Krakau & Heike Herata* 8. The Wild North - Network Cooperation for Sustainable Tourism in a Fragile Marine Environment in the Arctic Region Sandra Magdalena Granquist & Per Ake Nilsson* 9. Tourism Resolving Crisis? Exploring Tourism Development in Iceland in the Wake of Economic Recession Gunnar Thor Johannesson* & Edward H. Huijbens 10. A (Ski) Trip into the Future - Climate Change and Winter Tourism in Polar Sweden in 2040 Patrick Brouder & Linda Lundmark* 11. Conflicting Discourses in Tourism Development - A Case of Kilpisjarvi Village, Finnish Lapland Tuukka Makitie & Anna-Liisa Ylisirnio* 12. Will 'Free Entry into the Forest' Remain? Argumentation Analysis of Finnish and Swedish Discussions on Everyman's Rights Seija Tuulentie* & Outi Rantala 13. National Parks for Tourism Development in Sub-Arctic Areas - Curse or Blessing? The Case of a Proposed National Park in Northern Sweden Dieter K. Muller* 14. Indigenous People: Discussing the Forgotten Dimension of Dark Tourism and Battlefield Tourism Raynald H. Lemelin*, Anna Thompson-Carr, Margaret Johnston, Emma Stewart & Jackie Dawson 15. New Issues in Polar Tourism: Conclusion Linda Lundmark, Raynald H. Lemelin & Dieter K. Muller* Index

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the omission of Indigenous narratives in battlefields and sites of conflicts while also highlighting how certain battlefields and sites of conflicts have attempted to address dissonant heritage by diversifying interpretation strategies and implementing elements of collaborative management approaches, thereby addressing Indigenous erasure.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a content analysis, field studies and case studies to examine dissonant heritage in warfare tourism sites involving Indigenous peoples in Australia and North America.FindingsThe content analysis reveals that aboriginal erasure is still prevalent within the literature on warfare and battlefield tourism. However, the case studies suggest that dissonant heritage in warfare tourism is being addressed through collaborative management strategies and culturally sensitive interpretation strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe content analysis is limited to tourism journals. The case studies highlight sites that are using adaptive management and integrating Indigenous peoples.Practical implicationsThe study of dissonant heritage and warfare tourism, while relatively young, is beginning to address aboriginal erasure and cultural dissonance; this study is a contribution to this area of research.Social implicationsAddressing the impacts of aboriginal erasure and heritage dissonance in colonial settings heals the hurts of the past, while empowering communities. It also provides Indigenous communities with opportunities to diversify current tourism products.Originality/valueThis is a collaborative international paper involving Indigenous and non‐Indigenous scholars from Australia, Canada, and the USA.

Although the goal of this book was not to pursue a distinct research question but rather illustrate the multitude of thematic issues that are currently being investigated in the polar Norths, two topics, the governance of ecological resources and the ways in which polar communities manage to create agency through various development strategies, emerged throughout the book. In order to illustrate this agency, the content of this book has been divided into three parts: conceptualizing polar tourism and polar regions, politics and the environment, and business and community perspectives, thus without a separation between Arctic and Antarctic research. In this concluding chapter, a summary of the issues in polar tourism highlighted in this book is made, and a comment on the current state of the research field is offered, with some suggestions for future research.

During the recent decade, academic interest in polar tourism certainly reached a new peak. The reasons for this development are plentiful. An important reason is of course the growing numbers of tourists arriving in polar regions and the associated attempts of commercial and noncommercial stakeholders to attract even more tourists to polar destinations. This and other changes, such as global climate change, imply new challenges and opportunities for polar regions, warranting research on tourism in the area. This chapter introduces some of the themes discussed in the scientific literature: definition of polar regions, environmental dimensions, and business and community perspectives. Moreover, the chapter reviews some of the institutional changes occurring in polar tourism research. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of the contributions to this research volume.

Dark tourism and battlefield tourism have tended to focus on the social aspects of visits, such as marketing and interpretation, yet largely ignore the cultural and spiritual dimensions of these sites of death and loss. This chapter addresses these shortcomings through an examination of two well-known indigenous battlefields sites and outlines the potential lessons learned from these sites for the Canadian north. The goals of this chapter are both to (a) provide a contextual overview of issues related to the recognition and development of indigenous sites of death, loss, and battlefields, including cultural dissonance, and (b) explore these processes with reference to the Canadian North. We will address some of the limitations that have been noted in dark and battlefield tourism, including the tendency to focus on European sites or sites of colonial “victories” which perpetuate grand “colonial” narratives, while arguing for the need to recognize commemorative, cultural, and spiritual aspects. We also provide a rationale as to why most sites in Northern Canada have been excluded from the dark and/or battlefield narratives.