Tourism in Northern Iceland: An environmental analysis

This study is an investigation of the tourism environment in Northern Iceland. Data were collected over a six month time period, through observation and interviewing. Twenty eight interviews were conducted with various stakeholders in the environment.;The findings of this research show an evolutionary pattern of development beginning with the foundations of tourism at a national level; this was mainly fuelled by big business interests in the South of the country. Then came the random, intermittent emergence of tourism activities in the North. Communities and individuals were finding their places on the 'map', and forming the tourism environment of Northern Iceland.;Following the formation of this environment, a process of establishing began. The social actors were attempting to take possession of the tourism product and legitimize their role as a distinct environment. They were trying to manage their environment by formalizing, coordinating, establishing leadership, and increasing their visibility. However, there were obstacles that were impeding this process, namely the inherent characteristics of the domain, forces of cultural inertia, and role ambiguity.;The most significant practical contribution of this work is the analytic process that it uses, justifies, and refines. It can serve as a guide for future research into tourism settings where the unique contextual aspects of an environment are recognized and captured. The social actors in the tourism environment in Northern Iceland this study offers a new perspective and a shared interpretation of the elements within and surrounding their domain.