The Never-Ending Negotiation: Local perceptions of tourism and social sustainability in Longyearbyen, Svalbard
(2026) SMMP40 20261Department of Service Studies
- Abstract
- Climate change, shifting travel patterns, and the growing popularity of Arctic destinations have driven a rapid increase in tourism in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, over the past few decades. Simultaneously, Longyearbyen is at the end of a transition from a coal-mining community toward a tourism-focused town. While previous research on Svalbard has largely focused on environmental sustainability and governance, the social dimensions of tourism development remain comparatively underexplored. This thesis, therefore, investigates how residents of Longyearbyen perceive the social impacts of tourism growth and how they envision socially sustainable tourism development in the future.
Building on this context, the study adopts an interpretivist... (More) - Climate change, shifting travel patterns, and the growing popularity of Arctic destinations have driven a rapid increase in tourism in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, over the past few decades. Simultaneously, Longyearbyen is at the end of a transition from a coal-mining community toward a tourism-focused town. While previous research on Svalbard has largely focused on environmental sustainability and governance, the social dimensions of tourism development remain comparatively underexplored. This thesis, therefore, investigates how residents of Longyearbyen perceive the social impacts of tourism growth and how they envision socially sustainable tourism development in the future.
Building on this context, the study adopts an interpretivist epistemology and a qualitative research design, applying the concept of social license to operate (SLO) and social sustainability as its main theoretical framework. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, intercept interviews, field observations, and document analysis.
The findings reveal that residents’ attitudes toward tourism are characterised by ambivalence and an ongoing search for balance. On the one hand, participants recognised tourism as economically necessary in the post-mining transition and valued its contribution to employment, infrastructure, and community vitality. On the other hand, they expressed growing concerns about housing shortages, overcrowding, environmental strain, and changes in Longyearbyen’s social identity and sense of community. Overall, residents generally supported tourism development but emphasised the need for more strategic governance, stronger regulation, and a transition from growth-oriented to value-based, socially sustainable tourism practices.
These insights highlight the importance of incorporating local perspectives into tourism governance in sensitive Arctic destinations. Thus, this thesis hopes to contribute to future discussions on social sustainability, community resilience, and tourism development in Arctic destinations. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town, is experiencing growing tourism. While tourism creates jobs and new opportunities, it also brings challenges for local residents. This study explores how people living in Longyearbyen feel about tourism and its impact on everyday life. Through interviews with residents, the research shows that tourism can support the local economy but may also affect housing, community life, and the town’s identity. The findings highlight the importance of listening to local voices when planning tourism development in Arctic destinations.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9233694
- author
- Sui, Xin LU and Corte Real, Soraya de Oliveira
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SMMP40 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Arctic Tourism, Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Social sustainability, Social licence to operate
- language
- English
- id
- 9233694
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-10 09:09:03
- date last changed
- 2026-06-10 09:09:03
@misc{9233694,
abstract = {{Climate change, shifting travel patterns, and the growing popularity of Arctic destinations have driven a rapid increase in tourism in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, over the past few decades. Simultaneously, Longyearbyen is at the end of a transition from a coal-mining community toward a tourism-focused town. While previous research on Svalbard has largely focused on environmental sustainability and governance, the social dimensions of tourism development remain comparatively underexplored. This thesis, therefore, investigates how residents of Longyearbyen perceive the social impacts of tourism growth and how they envision socially sustainable tourism development in the future.
Building on this context, the study adopts an interpretivist epistemology and a qualitative research design, applying the concept of social license to operate (SLO) and social sustainability as its main theoretical framework. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, intercept interviews, field observations, and document analysis.
The findings reveal that residents’ attitudes toward tourism are characterised by ambivalence and an ongoing search for balance. On the one hand, participants recognised tourism as economically necessary in the post-mining transition and valued its contribution to employment, infrastructure, and community vitality. On the other hand, they expressed growing concerns about housing shortages, overcrowding, environmental strain, and changes in Longyearbyen’s social identity and sense of community. Overall, residents generally supported tourism development but emphasised the need for more strategic governance, stronger regulation, and a transition from growth-oriented to value-based, socially sustainable tourism practices.
These insights highlight the importance of incorporating local perspectives into tourism governance in sensitive Arctic destinations. Thus, this thesis hopes to contribute to future discussions on social sustainability, community resilience, and tourism development in Arctic destinations.}},
author = {{Sui, Xin and Corte Real, Soraya de Oliveira}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Never-Ending Negotiation: Local perceptions of tourism and social sustainability in Longyearbyen, Svalbard}},
year = {{2026}},
}