News 2008
December 2008
New book from the ITRC
The ITRC in collaboration with the department of teachers education at the University of Jyväskylä, has published the book The Illuminating Traveler - Expressions of the Ineffability of the Sublime. The book contains 15 chapters on tourism and phenomenology and details often poetic excursions of the authors to numerous destinations around the world. One of the chapter is about a destination in Iceland, the waterfall Goðafoss in the Northeast of Iceland, dealing with destinations as a weave of rhythms.
Thos interested in more information or the purchase of the book, please contact Edward H. Huijbens, director of the ITRC through edward@unak.is
November 2008
A conference in Höfn in Hornafjörður
The tourism cluster of SE Iceland in collaboration with the local University of Iceland Research Centre held a conference about employment and innovation in the realm of the newly established Vatnajökull national park.
Edward H. Huijbens, ITRC's director gave a presentation there about the importance of concerted regional strategic planning. A pilot strategic planning was done in NE Iceland under the auspices of the local Regional Development Agency and led by Dr. John S. Hull, an associate director of the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute and also a guest professor at the ITRC.
The ITRC is aiming to do a strategic tourism plan for each of the regions building on the methodology developed by John and his associates with John as project leader. The proposal is that the task be completed in 5 years.
October 2008
Svartárkot a success
An international centre for research and education on Icelandic culture and nature was established for Svartárkot in Bárðardalur, Iceland in the summer of 2007. The idea was raised in collaboration between the Reykjavík Academy and the residents of Svartárkot, and the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre with various other parties recruited to participate in a planning committee.
Now the first summer of the project in full operation is through with a group of students arriving form Edinburgh University to participate in the geography programme. This group came through the ITRC and next year the ITRC has four groups lined up for Svartárkot.
In future our aim is to build collaboration along those lines with all regional marketing offices in Iceland and the university establishments in each respective region. this should facilitate the visits of foreign students wanting to undertake fieldwork courses or research in Iceland.
September 2008
Domestic travel in Iceland
The ITRC has undertaken a research project detailing Icelanders domestic travel pattern, with a special focus on the winter season. The first report will be published this month and will report the findings of a survey amongst over 1000 Icelanders on their travel preferences and consumption in N. Iceland.
In future the plan is to go through each of the tourism regions of Iceland in order to establish domestic travel patterns and consumptive practices in the low season, but in tandem with an analysis of the high season. The outcomes of this research should give insights into regional economic impact of tourism and also the potential of tourism for regional development and tourism potential in the low season, based on the domestic market as further impetus for building for an international market.
August 2008
Planned MTA programme
The University of Iceland, the university of Akureyri and Hólaskóli – Hólar University, are jointly preparing post-graduate tourism studies entitled MTA (Master of Tourism Administration), coordinated by the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre. Students will be able to sign up for this programme at each of the schools and will be awarded their degrees from the school they originally signed up for. The programme is taught in phases, Thursdays to Saturdays, four times per semester and is thus to accommodate the needs of those who want to study along side their work. In order to qualify for this programme the student needs to hold a BA or B.Sc degree from a recognised university in Iceland or abroad. Those holding a BA or B.Sc. in field unrelated to tourism studies will be required to sit a 10 ECTS introductory course to tourism studies. Those credit units will be counted as optional. This programme is for those wanting to gain special expertise for varied jobs in the tourist industry. The programme is give added insight into the complex operational environment of tourism and companies in the industry and also to qualify people for strategic planning in the industry. The planned start of the programme is Autumn 2009.
Research on the image of tourism firms using environmentally friendly energy sources
The ITRC in collaboration with the department of science at the University of Iceland and Icelandic New Energy, is looking for an enthusiastic student to study the marketing image of tourism firms using environmentally friendly energy sources.
Dr. Rannveig Ólafsdóttir of the ITRC leads this project and those interested are asked to contact her via ranny@hi.is or through phone on +354 525 5482
July 2008
New NPP applications
The ITRC in collaboration with the University of Akureyri research and development centre and the hunting office of the Icelandic Environmental Agency is currently working on a Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) project on developing hunting tourism in the Northern periphery.
Based on this experience the ITRC is currently working on two applications for NPP grants. One on making airports central to regional marketing and another on the development of sea kayaking in the North. The former project is in collaboration with IsAvia, the Icelandic Tourist Board and Travel Logic in Ireland. The second project is in collaboration with the University of the Highlands and Islands, Manchester Metropolitan University and tour operators in Greenland.
Preparatory project applications will be sent this autumn.
May 2008
Three new reports form the ITRC
This spring the ITRC has been working on three new reports all now published. The fourth one is due in the beginning of June. All reports are available on the ITRC web under 'projects' then 'publications'. They are also distributed to libraries and regional development office around the country. The three reports are:
Hrefna Kristmannsdóttir 2008: Jarðhitaauðlindir - tækifæri til atvinnusköpunar og byggðaeflingar á Norðausturlandi með heilsutengdri ferðaþjónustu (Geothermal resources - opportunities for employment and regional development in NE Iceland through spa tourism). Akureyri: Icelandic Tourism Research Centre and The University of Akureyri (In Icelandic, p. 52).
Rannveig Ólafsdóttir og Kristín Rut Kristjánsdóttir 2008: Áhrif uppistöðulóns og virkjunar við Hagavatn á ferðamennsku og útivist (The impact of planned hydro electric power plant construction and associated reservoir on tourism and recreation around Hagavatn S. Iceland). Akureyri: Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (In Icelandic, p. 47).
Edward H. Huijbens 2008: Áhrif fyrirhugaðrar virkjunar á Þeistareykjum og háspennulína frá Kröflu að Bakka við Húsavík á ferðaþjónustu og útivist. (The impact of planned geo-thermal power plant project at Theistareykir and the high voltage power lines from Krafla to Bakki at Húsavík on tourism and recereation). Akureyri: Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (In Icelandic, p. 73).
April 2008
Dissertation reward awarded for the third time
The ITRC awards annually a student from any of the three Universities in Iceland teaching tourism studies, for an outstanding final dissertation. The reward entails a document stating the name of the person awarded and for what along with a cheque of 100.000 ISK. Five dissertations were nominated by staff in all faculties of the three Universities and were evaluated by the panel. The panel is the board of the ITRC, along with the director. The award this year goes to Hildur Kristjánsdóttir from the University of Iceland, who wrote about how tour operators marketing Iceland as a conference venue could collaborate through the Iceland Tourist Board and Iceland Statistics on gathering market data.
The award was presented at the annual meeting of the Icelandic Tourist Industry Association, in Hotel Saga, Reykjavík on the 3rd of April. Hildur was congratulated and awarded by the chairman of the industry association mr. Jón Karl Ólafsson.
March 2008
An academic post at the ITRC
Joint research position and tenure track faculty position for the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre and the University of Akureyri. Applications are invited for a joint position at the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre and the University of Akureyri. The successful applicant is expected to be based at and the University of Akureyri and do teaching and research in the field of economics, tourism and leisure studies. The position is divided equally between the ITRC and the University of Akureyri, with teaching obligations towards the latter and research obligations to the former. The appointment will commence 1st August 2008 and will run for three years with the possibility of tenure. The first six months are considered a mutual trial period.
The successful applicant is expected to have expert knowledge in one or more of the following fields of study: Economics, econometrics, business and marketing, tourism and leisure studies. Furthermore experience and knowledge of the tourist industry in Northern/arctic regions is expected and ways in which these can be measured and weighted in economic terms. The University of Akureyri Act governs the procedure for judging applicants’ merits. Applicants should submit with their applications an account of their scientific experience, including publications and research, as well as documents certifying to their education and previous employment.
Three copies of scientific papers, published or unpublished, that the applicant wishes to be taken into account, should be included. The applicant should indicate clearly his/her present research interests and future research plans should he/she be appointed to the post. Moreover a recommendation from two to three academic peers may be included stating the applicants qualifications for the post.
Salaries are based on the pay agreement between the Union of University Employees and the University of Akureyri.
The deadline for applications is 15th April 2008. Applications should be sent in triplicate (hard-copy or electronic) to the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre, Borgum v/Nordurslod, 600 Akureyri.
All applications will be responded to and the applicants informed about the panel’s decision once made. Further information can be had from the director of the ITRC Dr. Edward H. Huijbens, edward@unak.is, or tel. +354 460 8930.
February 2008
Tourism Strategic Planning in Þingeyjarsýslur
The ITRC in collaboration with the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, for the Regional Development Office of Þingeyjarsýslur in NE Iceland is now working on a five year strategic tourism plan for Northeast Iceland. The work plan will be completed in two phases. First there will be an analysis of the current state of affairs of the industry. The results of this analysis will then serve as a basis for defining a strategic tourism plan that identifies a vision, broad goals and objectives, strategic priorities and actions, and mechanisms for implementation.
The planning process will also provide an opportunity to promote the tourism industry of Northeast Iceland within government departments and development agencies, as well as in the private sector to build partnerships, foster collaborative efforts, and ensure a strategic alignment across stakeholder agencies.
Borgarfjörður Eystri
The ITRC in collaboration with Elf-tours hosted a workshop in Borgarfjörður Eystri, NE Iceland, 27th-28th February 2008, under the title 'Developing sustainable tourism in peripheral localities'. 30 people attended and on the whole the seminar was a success. Abstract The event will bring together local tourist entrepreneurs, students and researchers in the field of tourism studies, to focus on how to develop sustainable tourism initiatives in a peripheral locality. Borgarfjörður Eystri in NE Iceland is a fairly isolated community of about 100 inhabitants with tenuous road connections to neighbouring communities. In addition it is literally the end of the road, unless you have specially equipped vehicles, which lends it an aura of seclusion fuelling vivid folklore of various non-humans inhabiting the high mountains around and nooks and crannies of the valley floor itself. A physical isolation result in the valley being pristine in terms of tourism development and its natural demarcation lends it a clear image as a place in itself. The various entrepreneurs in the locality are keen to develop tourism but without compromising the place’s key attributes. Through their initiative the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre was asked to help in co-ordinating how knowledge could be brought in from the fields of sustainable tourism research and development. The proposal is to create a workshop and seminar involving students, researchers and local entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and develop viable business concepts for the place. Programme 26th February (Tuesday) 12.00 Arrival in Borgafjörður Eystri and lunch in …..
13.00 Introduction to Stefan, his research in Vestlands forskning and the reason he is not there in person
Tourism as contributor to climate change
Tourism as victim of climate change
Tourism as part of the solution
Key note address by Stefan Gössling via DVD presentation
15.00 Workshops Destination image/branding
What is sustainable?
Building a forum for exchanging ideas
Developing concepts and products for nature based tourism
Global outreach 18.00 Workshop conclusion and drawing together key ideas
19.00 Dinner
20.00 Exploring elf terrain 27th February (Wednesday) 08.00 Breakfast
09.00 Key note address by John Hull
10.00 Workshops revisited
12.00 Lunch
15.00 Concluding remarks, drawing together ideas and departure Workshops
The group attending will be split between the workshops, but each will be lead by a person experienced in the field and the topic to be discussed. Each group will engage with the topic for 40-45 minutes and then move to the next topic (in a new location) and develop their ideas on a sheet that will travel with the group.
January 2008
The ITRC receives funding from NPP
The ITRC has, along with the Research Centre of the University of Akureyri, the wildlife management division of the Environmental agency and partners in Sweden, Finland, Scotland, Greenland and Canada, received funding from the Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) to carry on developing hunting tourism in the Northern periphery. This funding rests on the success of work undertaken in 2007 to prepare for this application for a three year programme. In the following three years the task is to develop sustainable hunting tourism across the Northern periphery.
An announcement and details of other projects involving Icelandic institutes can be found here in Icelandic, but this project was one of 12 approved projects, out of a total of 19 applications. In four of these 12 there are Icelandic partners
Borgum v/Norðurslóð
600 Akureyri, Iceland