Cruising in uncharted waters : a systematic analysis of the sustainability of cruise tourism in Flåm, Norway

Abstract

When the coronavirus pandemic broke out in 2020, global cruise tourism came to a halt. After two years with little international tourism, cruise ships began to come back to Norway as normal in 2022. At the same time, the years of 2020 and 2021 were marked by increasingly noticeable climate change effects. This two-year period without cruise tourism combined with the increasing urgency of the climate crisis makes the question of cruise tourism’s sustainability incredibly relevant in 2022. This thesis investigates the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of cruise tourism in Flåm Norway using the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Destination Criteria as an analytical approach. To do so, it uses secondary air quality data, surveys, and interviews. This thesis finds that there are both positive and negative impacts of cruise tourism in Flåm. While the industry contributes a lot financially to the village and increases the activities available for residents, there is also the fact that many residents feel overwhelmed by the large numbers of guests. When it comes to environmental issues, the industry and local actors seem willing to address these problems, but there is little monitoring of the environment. This means that problems are not being identified and, therefore, cannot be addressed. As cruise tourism does not seem likely to end in the near future, it is important to make the industry as sustainable as possible. For Flåm, this means that, first and foremost, monitoring of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of cruise tourism must improve.