Professor Harald Klaus Dolles Visits the University of Akureyri and ITRC Professor Haral

Guðrún, Harald and Hafdís

Professor Harald Klaus Dolles from Molde University College in Norway recently visited the University of Akureyri and the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (ITRC).

Harald is a professor at the Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences at Molde University College. Over the past year, he has been involved in Tourism in Context, an international research project led by ITRC.

During his visit, Harald met with Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir, Director of ITRC, and gave a guest lecture in a Services Marketing course taught by Hafdís Björg Hjálmarsdóttir, Assistant Professor at the University of Akureyri.

His lecture, entitled “Perceptions of Place-Based Value – Comparisons Between Different Stakeholders in Rauma Municipality, Norway”, explored how residents, tourists and businesses perceive and value places differently. Particular attention was given to tourism's impacts on local communities, the distribution of economic benefits and the importance of developing tourism in ways that reflect local residents' interests and the unique character of each destination.

Harald also visited Hjalti Jóhannesson, a researcher at the University of Akureyri Research Centre (RHA). Among the topics they discussed was their interest in classic cars and motorsports. Harald is a motorsport enthusiast who has competed in motorcycle racing on the Isle of Man and published academic research on the event.