{"id":347,"date":"2020-07-01T11:50:38","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T08:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/arctisen\/?p=347"},"modified":"2020-07-01T12:50:01","modified_gmt":"2020-07-01T09:50:01","slug":"authenticity-as-a-compromise-why-labels-can-be-very-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/arctisen\/2020\/07\/01\/authenticity-as-a-compromise-why-labels-can-be-very-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Authenticity as a compromise: why labels can be very important"},"content":{"rendered":"

Text and photos: Cecilia de Bernardi<\/p>\n

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Since I started my work with S\u00e1mi tourism, initially I focused on analysing language, marketing, and specifically how culture is portrayed in pictures. The reason why I started with this is that marketing communication is an important aspect of the process of attracting tourists to a certain place. A website, a brochure or a picture on Instagram can affect the tourists\u2019 expectations of a destination they want to visit.<\/p>\n

If the tourists are presented with an exotic and historical version of S\u00e1mi culture(s), this is what they will most likely expect when they arrive at the destination. This can make it hard for S\u00e1mi tourism entrepreneurs to deliver experiences that are based on contemporary S\u00e1mi life, while also making sure that the tourists go home satisfied with their trip. This is one side of the coin, other aspects that I learned about while talking to entrepreneurs are the fact that tourists often do not know about the S\u00e1mi when they arrive and that they are eager to learn more and are most often respectful. My interviews with the entrepreneurs were the basis for the national baseline report on cultural sensitivity of Sweden for ARCTISEN<\/a> and for my doctoral dissertation as well.<\/p>\n

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A view from the Ice Hotel in Jukkasj\u00e4rvi<\/p><\/div>\n

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Kiruna Church<\/p><\/div>\n

Another aspect that became apparent during the interviews I conducted, is the different views from the S\u00e1mi entrepreneurs on what is regarded as authentic, while it was also clear for them what is not authentic. These findings and my studies of marketing communication are what has driven me to understand authenticity as a compromise. There are different and equally important views on authenticity, while, on the other hand, different views on authenticity have something in common. Due to the fact that there are so many ways in which S\u00e1mi culture(s) can be exploited in tourism, in order to protect S\u00e1mi culture(s) from unethical use in tourism, labels should be used to promote the aspects of S\u00e1mi culture(s) that are shared as well as the differences. An example of a label is the S\u00e1pmi Experience in Sweden, which hopefully can be an inspiration for other future labelling schemes. Nowadays with social media and other means of communication, it will be possible to spread information on such a label and gradually educate the tourists on more conscious choices. A label can help to support S\u00e1mi tourism enterprises, while also while also protecting the environment. This is another important part of being a S\u00e1mi tourism entrepreneur, which is to protect the nature that is so intertwined with culture. A tourism label can also support such efforts and communicate them to the tourists.<\/p>\n

Finally, during my research and the interviews, I learned of the importance of S\u00e1mi culture(s) for tourism entrepreneurs operating at the local level in northern Sweden, but who are not S\u00e1mi. All of the people I interviewed highlighted how important it is for them to not disturb the reindeer, to cooperate with S\u00e1mi companies to convey S\u00e1mi culture(s) and to make sure that S\u00e1mi-related tourism products are in the hands of S\u00e1mi entrepreneurs. This is important regarding how a label could help the operations of other companies working closely with S\u00e1mi tourism.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, a label based on authenticity as a compromise is a way to:<\/p>\n