Sámi Tourism

Sámi tourism is defined as tourism where the resources of Sámi culture are utilised to produce tourism services offered to the public on commercial basis. Sámi tourism should always be tourism based on Sámi culture in which tourism service providers come from within the Sámi community. To ensure the vitality of Sámi culture and the authenticity of the tourism product, the Sámi tourism services need to be based on accurate and truthful information.
Especially in Lapland, tourism exploiting Sámi culture still exists. This type of exploitative tourism happens when different tourism stakeholders come from outside the Sámi community and utilise or exploit elements connected or referential to Sámi culture in tourism services or products without actual connection to the Sámi community and deeper understanding of Sámi culture. Often, tourism exploiting Sámi culture is offensive, distributes both misinformation and disinformation that strengthens the pre-existing stereotypes, without the voice or vision of the Sámi themselves.