Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Dog Sledding in Lapland: Negotiating the Authenticity of a Borrowed Tradition

Plougmann, Anna Charlotte Kanst LU (2025) SMMM40 20251
Department of Service Studies
Abstract
This thesis explores how authenticity is constructed, negotiated, and contested within the
context of dog sledding tourism in Lapland, a region marked by cultural complexity and
ongoing postcolonial dynamics. The Finnish Sámi Parliament has voiced strong opposition
towards husky safaris, framing the practice as a symbol of cultural displacement due to its
lack of historical roots in the region. This statement prompted the research which draws on
semi-structured interviews with dog sledding providers to investigate how they perceive and
present their practices as authentic in relation to tourist expectations, cultural narratives, and
conflicting stakeholder perspectives. Taking an offset in a holistic understanding of
authenticity... (More)
This thesis explores how authenticity is constructed, negotiated, and contested within the
context of dog sledding tourism in Lapland, a region marked by cultural complexity and
ongoing postcolonial dynamics. The Finnish Sámi Parliament has voiced strong opposition
towards husky safaris, framing the practice as a symbol of cultural displacement due to its
lack of historical roots in the region. This statement prompted the research which draws on
semi-structured interviews with dog sledding providers to investigate how they perceive and
present their practices as authentic in relation to tourist expectations, cultural narratives, and
conflicting stakeholder perspectives. Taking an offset in a holistic understanding of
authenticity as a multifaceted and perceived phenomenon, this study finds that providers
largely frame authenticity in touristic dog sledding through a focus on lifestyle, emotional
connection, and responsible animal care rather than Indigenous historical continuity.
However, the activity’s operation within Sámi Homeland raises critical questions about
cultural ownership and tension between perceived authenticity and political legitimacy,
showing how tourism narratives are influenced by broader structures of power. This research
contributes to the literature on authenticity and postcolonialism in tourism, highlighting how
many differing perceptions of what constitutes authenticity can exist, but underscoring also
how the legitimacy of tourism practices must be examined not only through provider
satisfaction but also through the lens of cultural justice. The study calls for further research
on the topic and more communication between different stakeholders in order to shape the
future of sustainable tourism in Sápmi. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Plougmann, Anna Charlotte Kanst LU
supervisor
organization
course
SMMM40 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
authenticity, theoplacity, negotiated authenticity, constructed authenticity, post-colonialism, cultural narrative, post-tourism, borrowed traditions, emergent heritage, dog sledding tourism, Arctification, Lapland, Sápmi
language
English
id
9209180
date added to LUP
2025-08-04 11:12:11
date last changed
2025-08-04 11:12:11
@misc{9209180,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores how authenticity is constructed, negotiated, and contested within the
context of dog sledding tourism in Lapland, a region marked by cultural complexity and
ongoing postcolonial dynamics. The Finnish Sámi Parliament has voiced strong opposition
towards husky safaris, framing the practice as a symbol of cultural displacement due to its
lack of historical roots in the region. This statement prompted the research which draws on
semi-structured interviews with dog sledding providers to investigate how they perceive and
present their practices as authentic in relation to tourist expectations, cultural narratives, and
conflicting stakeholder perspectives. Taking an offset in a holistic understanding of
authenticity as a multifaceted and perceived phenomenon, this study finds that providers
largely frame authenticity in touristic dog sledding through a focus on lifestyle, emotional
connection, and responsible animal care rather than Indigenous historical continuity.
However, the activity’s operation within Sámi Homeland raises critical questions about
cultural ownership and tension between perceived authenticity and political legitimacy,
showing how tourism narratives are influenced by broader structures of power. This research
contributes to the literature on authenticity and postcolonialism in tourism, highlighting how
many differing perceptions of what constitutes authenticity can exist, but underscoring also
how the legitimacy of tourism practices must be examined not only through provider
satisfaction but also through the lens of cultural justice. The study calls for further research
on the topic and more communication between different stakeholders in order to shape the
future of sustainable tourism in Sápmi.}},
  author       = {{Plougmann, Anna Charlotte Kanst}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Dog Sledding in Lapland: Negotiating the Authenticity of a Borrowed Tradition}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}