Minni Haanpää

Developing practice and theory together: Reflecting on a tourism development and research project in Finnish Lapland

Networking and collaboration between academics and practitioners are becoming more intense as a response to the growing demand for tourism research to contribute to the growth and competitiveness of both regional and national economies. Whereas this development challenges the traditional role of academia, it also offers an opportunity to rethink the relationship between theory and practice. The purpose of this study is to reflect on the experiences of a tourism development and research project conducted in Finnish Lapland between 2008 and 2011. In doing so, the study draws attention to the opportunities and challenges faced by academic and tourism workers when combining development and research objectives within a single project.

Co-Creating Places through Events: The Case of a Tourism Community Event in Finnish Lapland

Events can convey strong meanings for communities and they can be important builders of place identity (Getz, 2008). This chapter explores the relationship between a community event and the place where it is held. The empirical case discussed here is the Walpurgis Day celebration (Vappu in Finnish), which is organised annually by a community of domestic tourists and tourism workers in Pallas, a ski resort situated within a national park in Finnish Lapland, 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. There are no permanent residents in Pallas, however, the ski resort hosts approximately 100,000 tourists every year. Walpurgis Day is a carnival-style celebration usually held in the streets of Finnish towns and cities on 1st May. This one-day community event has been celebrated in Pallas for the last 20 years, originating from the desire of a group of tourists to regularly engage in Walpurgis Day festivities in the area. The event’s popularity and success has its roots in the voluntary activities of the community, and through the years, they have capitalised upon the non-profit, voluntary, and free-of-charge nature of the event. The celebration is inclusive in nature and welcomes all visitors to the resort.