Northern Tourism

Programme overview

What will you learn?

Our research and education on sustainable northern tourism builds knowledge on the challenges facing the northern and Arctic regions and offers tools for the sustainable development of tourism in the North. Through the involvement of the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism, our programme offers education based on the research activities of the leading tourism scholars from Arctic areas. The joint component consists of a field course and of two online courses. 

To be eligible you must have:

• a Bachelor's or Master's degree (180 cr) in tourism or
• a Bachelor's or Master's degree in leisure/outdoor education/outdoor recreation or 
• a bachelor’s or Master's degree in humanities or social sciences (e.g. geography, anthropology, environmental sciences and arts)
• A good command of English language for academic purposes
• Full admission criteria here 
  
   
  
  

Tourism, an industry that is growing in the northern and Arctic regions, is affected by globalization and environmental transformation, but also plays a role in changing the North. For example, tourism can be a component of community development, drawing out creative solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges. On the other hand, tourism can bring unwanted and unintended pressures that have negative outcomes for community structures and the environment.

What are they actually studying? Check out the curriculum for current students!

Our Master’s Degree Programme in Northern Tourism – based on a joint 30 credits component organised by the University of the Arctic (UArctic) Thematic Network on Northern Tourism – offers a comprehensive and international approach to tourism and reflects on the growing global influence and relevance of change in the north. It brings together researchers and students from the northern universities, with an interest to develop responsible tourism futures. The joint component is organised by Nipissing University, UiT – the Arctic University of Norway, Umeå University, University of Iceland, University of Lapland, University of Oulu and Vancouver Island University and it is hosted by UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Tourism.

" I am Sarah and just finished studying the Master's in Northern Tourism. I am originally from Germany but fell in love with the North quite some time ago which is why I moved up here to Rovaniemi. I picked this Master's degree because in my opinion the Arctic will be an important geopolitical focus point in the near future but also a more and more important hub for tourism. The tension between economic development and climate change concerning the Arctic regions is what interests me most. I found my thesis topic pondering the question how the consciousness regarding climate change and a melting cryosphere will play into travel decisions to the Polar regions and what this would mean for the future." Read more about Sarah's interesting thesis and the future of Arctic tourism here. 

The courses of Northern Tourism start with a field course bringing together students from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland to study northern tourism in one of the Nordic countries. 

In October 2021, the group of students together with professor Outi Rantala from the University of Lapland and postdoctoral researcher Kaarina Tervo-Kankare from the University of Oulu visited Tunturiaapa mire in Pyhä-Luosto national park exploring the potential of proximity in tourism. Read more about the field work in the blog post written by professor Outi Rantala. 

Our master's degree programme is based on research collaboration of the thematic network on Northern Tourism within the University of the Arctic. The main goal of the network is to address gaps in knowledge about northern tourism through comparative, circumpolar research and education. We collaborate with our core partners in the programme in various research projects on the following topics:

• Arctic tourism in times of change: seasonality, urban dimensions of Arctic tourism and from overtourism to re-starting tourism
  
• Arctic tourism in the era of environmental crisis
• Mobilities in peripheral areas
• Analysis of future travel trends in the context of Arctic Europe
• Arctic winter tourism
• Destination development in the Arctic areas

• Tourism Employment in the Arctic: Towards Decent Work (subprojects led by University of Iceland, Umeå University and University of Lapland, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, 2025-2027)
  
• The Contested Nature of Allemannsretten. Renegotiating local customs together with small scale farmers in periphery landscapes (led by UiT the Arctic University of Norway, funded by The Research Council of Norway, 2021–2025)
• Arctic Five Chair in Tourism. Rethinking tourism in climate emergency (led by University of Lapland, 2022 - 2023)
• Mobilities on the margins – creative processes of place making (led by University of Iceland, funded by the Icelandic Research Fund, 2020–2023)
• Envisioning proximity tourism with new materialism (led by University of Lapland, funded by the Academy of Finland, 2019– 2023)
• Partnership for Sustainability: Arctic Tourism in Times of Change (subprojects led by University of Lapland, Umeå University and University of Iceland, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018–2021)
  

Career opportunities:

The students attending a joint higher education in tourism will become professionals in their field of study, specialising on northern tourism and various aspects closely related to the sustainable development of the Arctic region.

The graduates will in the future be the consulted experts,

• who steer the development of the Arctic towards a more sustainable direction;
• who hold the contemporary know-how of the present-day challenges facing the economic growth in the North; and
• who thanks to their education have increased employment possibilities in the field of tourism in northern and Arctic context.
  

Studying in Lapland

Elena Beuttner joined the master's degree in Northern Tourism because it combined two of her interests - tourism and the Arctic.

In the video Ella shares her thoughts about studying in Lapland but learning together with a group of students from other Arctic universities, too.

More information:

How to apply?

>> All applications via Studyinfo
>> More information on applying, start here

Admissions criteria and student selection: Northern Tourism admission criteria 2025