Arctic tourism is increasingly shaped by Arctification, a process through which stereotypical representations of the Arctic as a remote, snow-covered wilderness are attached through tourism and related imaginaries, practices, and products to places that were not previously considered as being Arctic. These representations can contribute to homogenization, and constrained development pathways. While sustainability needs have been widely examined in Arctic tourism, the role of digital technologies in shaping how Arctic places are produced, experienced, and rendered sustainable remains under-researched. This conceptual paper introduces Phygital Arctic Tourism (PAT) as an analytical framework for examining how Arctic tourism is assembled through intertwined physical and digital processes. Building on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and relational perspectives on place, the paper extends existing Arctic tourism frameworks by conceptualizing digital technologies as material actors in the production of tourism experiences, imaginaries, and sense of place. Furtheremore, it introduces Counter-Arctification as a concept foregrounding processes through which dominant Arctic imaginaries are challenged and pluralized. With examples from museums and visitor centers this paper advances a conceptual lens for analyzing how Arctic tourism is produced, mediated, and transformed in the digital era, offering new directions for research on sustainability, sense of place, and tourism development in Arctic regions.
Permafrost degradation is a major consequence of climate change in the Arctic, with significant implications for infrastructure, societal systems, and the everyday life of local populations. While substantial research has examined these impacts on northern communities, the implications for tourism remain largely underexplored, despite the growing presence of tourism operations in Arctic regions. By bringing together periglacial geomorphology and tourism geographies, this study aims to advance policymaking in tourism governance for future safe tourism and resilient communities. Based on semi-structured interviews, the paper investigates how tourism stakeholders in the Yukon Territory, Canada, perceive permafrost degradation. Findings reveal that permafrost degradation is emerging as a concern for transportation and for the preservation of cultural heritage sites but is not viewed as a major issue for nature-based tourism. Permafrost degradation is also not regarded as an immediate concern for the sustainability of the tourism industry, as opposed to other environmental threats like wildfires. Given projections of increasing tourism in the Arctic and of intensifying permafrost thaw, the paper calls for greater integration of permafrost degradation into future tourism development discourse, proactive planning and strategies, and contributes to broader discussions on climate change and sustainable tourism governance.
Inviolate areas represent a physical and conceptual manifestation of an approach to conservation based on protecting nature from people. Debates over inviolate areas in Antarctica offer useful insights into the values that underpin conservation in the Anthropocene. Antarctica is governed by an international treaty system that declares the continent to be a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science' and which requires consensus decision-making among a wide range of cultural and political views. Drawing on Antarctic governance and conservation scholarship, as well as the wider geographical and humanities literature, this article examines the contested interpretations and framings of inviolate areas in Antarctica. Starting with international debates over 'Prohibited Zones' in Belgium's 2023 proposal for a new protected area, we trace historical and contemporary perspectives on inviolate areas in the Antarctic. We then propose four frames through which stakeholders might engage inviolate areas, each of which reflects a set of assumptions and values about how Antarctic conservation should be approached, ranging from increasing human presence to re-imagining the region as an autonomous, rights-bearing entity. We offer these frames as a heuristic device for those seeking new ways of navigating disagreement and achieving better conservation outcomes in Antarctica and beyond.
This article examines the role of Svalbard Airport in shaping socio-economic transitions and everyday life in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on the Svalbard archipelago. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, complemented by historical sources, the study analyzes how the airport has mediated experiences of remoteness and connectivity across successive historical periods. Situating the analysis within the anthropology of infrastructure and relational island studies, the airport is conceptualized as a connective infrastructure that actively reconfigures Svalbard's islandness rather than simply overcoming geographical isolation. Tracing developments from Longyearbyen's origins as an isolated coal-mining company town to its current post-industrial transition based on tourism, research, and education, the article demonstrates how the airport has functioned both as a product and driver of state-led normalization, economic diversification, and geopolitical presence. Empirically, the study foregrounds lived experiences of mobility, transience, safety, and vulnerability, highlighting air connectivity as an ambivalent category. The article argues that increased connectivity does not eliminate remoteness but gives rise to 'hyperconnected remoteness,' a condition in which extreme accessibility and isolation coexist. By focusing on an Arctic island context, the article contributes new insights into the transformative power of transport infrastructure and the ambivalent social effects of connectivity in remote settings.
The rapid opening of the Arctic due to climate change and the increasing use of the Northern Sea Route have intensified demand for reliable and sustainable energy supply in remote regions to meet rising industry and residential demand. This article examines whether small nuclear power plants (SNPPs), with particular focus on floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), can provide a viable solution for the Arctic. This study applies a mixed approach that combines environmental assessment, life cycle analysis based on international standards, spatial mapping of ecological risks, and economic evaluation using standard investment criteria. Results show that FNPPs can be economically feasible under favorable financing conditions, though their long payback periods and high cost limit competitiveness against other energy options. Environmentally, while nuclear energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, FNPPs carry significant risks, including thermal pollution, disruption of fragile ecosystems, and permafrost destabilization. The findings suggest that ground-based SNPPs may offer a more balanced alternative for sustainable Arctic energy policy. This research contributes to the debate on Arctic development by integrating environmental and economic perspectives, offering insights for policymakers and energy planners considering future deployment of nuclear technologies in the region.
The use of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the maritime industry has increased rapidly in recent years. At the same time, maritime activity in the Arctic is expanding as diminishing sea ice enables greater access for commercial shipping, offshore energy development, fisheries, and cruise tourism. This growth has heightened the risk of maritime accidents in a region characterized by harsh environmental conditions, vast distances, and limited infrastructure. Existing search and rescue (SAR) capabilities of Arctic states are widely regarded as insufficient to fully address the anticipated increase in maritime traffic, prompting efforts to enhance SAR preparedness. This study examines the potential role of USVs in supporting Arctic SAR operations from operational and legal perspectives, with particular reference to the Northern Sea Route. It addresses two research questions: 'how USVs can support SAR operations in the Arctic in light of existing SAR capabilities and increasing maritime activity', and 'what legal and regulatory constraints may limit their deployment'. A qualitative pilot study was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with domain experts, which were coded and analyzed using content and thematic analysis methods. The findings suggest that USVs can enhance SAR operations as complementary assets, provided that existing legal ambiguities are clarified.
This paper examines how Antarctic considerations have evolved across four phases of Brazilian geopolitical thought. Drawing on primary texts and academic literature, it situates Antarctic discourse within Brazil's broader geopolitical trajectory and historical shifts. Using a historical and analytical approach, it traces continuity and change, showing how geopolitical narratives shaped Brazil's Antarctic engagement. Antarctica emerged as a topic only after World War II, when Brazilian geopolitical thinking broadened its scope to a global scale and integrated maritime space. Across this trajectory, Antarctica remained a distant yet related space - linked to Brazil through strategic, economic, and environmental concerns - and was framed more as a resource for development and projection than as a central element of national identity. The persistence of ideas such as the frontage theory underscores the enduring impact of early geopolitical models, even as newer perspectives bring science, environmental governance, and South-South cooperation without introducing a distinct theoretical renewal. Despite growing academic attention, critical geopolitics remains underdeveloped in Brazil, limiting reflection on the relevance of classical frameworks. By tracing this trajectory, the study underscores the significance of national perspectives in understanding the evolving regional and Antarctic orders.
In 2015, Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland) approved the largest investment in transportation infrastructure ever undertaken by the island's autonomous government. Consisting of the expansion of two existing airports and the construction of one new regional hub, the project promises development by freeing the island from the constraints of its World War II-era infrastructure and creating greater connections to the globe. However, the project will also realign much of the island's current transportation network, increasing access to some communities while potentially contributing to the isolation and displacement of others. Focusing on the experience of the airport expansion project in two communities, this article examines how legacies of the past and visions for the future intermix and coalesce around large-scale infrastructural projects and what they can reveal about the interconnection between state policy, the politics of belonging, and the future of Arctic communities.
Changing environmental conditions in Isfjorden impact the abundance and composition of fish species in this major fjord system in Svalbard. New commercially attractive species have already entered and will expand in Svalbard waters. Based on knowledge from different sources, this paper explores and discusses how fisheries may develop in Isfjorden. We found a mismatch between the current regulatory framework, which is too fragmented and complex to address increasingly intricate fisheries matters, and the extent of ongoing changes that may result in larger opportunities for fishing activities in Svalbard waters. Drawing on the situation in Porsangerfjorden, a fjord system in Northern Norway with a boreal character, we emphasize the importance of fisheries resource management. Finally, we surmise that pressure to open fish-landing facilities on Svalbard may increase in connection with the abundance of new species of commercial interest and a stronger interest in consuming local fish products in Longyearbyen.
This article explores local impacts from and responses to seasonal configurations of connectivity and disruptions in the functioning of transport infrastructure in the Russian Arctic. While paying due attention to longue dur & eacute;e - historical processes and modernization ideologies - in the shaping of infrastructure, communities, and social relations in the Russian Arctic, our main focus is on the cyclical, repetitive, and fleeting seasonal time. Building on social science and anthropological literature on temporality and seasonality of infrastructure and social life, we engage with the concepts of rhythm and taskscape. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data collected in the coastal town and regional hub of Egvekinot in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, we emphasize how transport infrastructures, which are subject to ongoing social and environmental changes, are perceived and used as highly seasonal and constantly evolving structures. Our case study shows how local residents and actors manage seasonal interruptions in chains of supply through future-oriented dwelling activities. We argue that different seasonal configurations of transport infrastructure serve to fill the gaps in supply chains and to ensure local mobility and provisioning throughout most of the year.
Recent years have witnessed a surge of shipping traffic on the Northern Sea Route, yet the economic viability of container shipping remains ambiguous due to several uncertainties, especially for the environmental and political effects. With stricter environmental concerns like emission control areas and strategic projects of Russia as the 'Northern Sea Transit Corridor', the cost factors of shipping service through the NSR fluctuate, as well as the attitudes of the shipping companies. Based on a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the NSR's potential for container transportation, this paper clarifies how the vessel capacity and port selection influence the economic viability of the NSR, across various scenarios involving container capacities of 5089 and 10960 TEU. More specifically, we examine the role of cleaner fuel options in shaping the competitiveness of the NSR within the overarching framework of the EU Emissions Trading System. An Energy Substitution Ratio model, based on the net calorific value of fuels, is applied to evaluate the suitability of different fuels for 2025 and 2026. The results indicate that the economic viability of green fuels varies significantly with changes in carbon emission cost policies, and their substitution strategies can profoundly reshape the operational decision-making models of shipping companies.
The development of Chinese-Russian relations in the Arctic affects international security architecture. 2014 and 2022 are identified as critical moments in this analysis, reflecting the subsequent stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the systematically activated international sanctions. Focusing on the Arctic as a contested laboratory of great-power rivalry, this study examines Sino-Russian military cooperation. Two main questions are discussed: which determinants have reoriented Beijing's and Moscow's approaches to joint military action, and what is the scope and extent of those actions? Using a multi-source qualitative approach, the author traces the post-2014 and especially post-2022 shifts, linking sanctions pressure and resource/logistics imperatives to a measurable surge in joint exercises, patrols, and command-and-control familiarization. Furthermore, this article's discussion includes Chinese-Russian anti-US balancing, Russia's sanctions-induced dependence on Chinese finance and technology, and divergent governance preferences based on the Russian sovereign approach to the Northern Sea Route versus China's Polar Silk Road narrative.
This article examines the entanglements of housing infrastructure, economic structures, and social relations in Arctic regions, focusing on Nunavut (Canada) and Malmf & auml;lten (Sweden). Using a comparative ethnographic approach, we explore how housing scarcity is shaped not only by physical infrastructure but by broader political and economic forces. Drawing on thematic content analysis and an infrastructural relations framework, we highlight how capitalist logics, demographic shifts, and governance structures contribute to ongoing housing crises. Rather than viewing infrastructure as a static entity, we adopt a relational perspective that emphasizes the reciprocal dynamics between housing, social networks, and state policies. Our findings suggest that housing scarcity in the Arctic is not merely a consequence of remoteness or material limitations but a product of structural neglect, economic disincentives, and governance complexities. By framing infrastructure as a site of contested relations rather than a neutral technical system, we argue that addressing Arctic housing challenges requires not only increased investment but a fundamental rethinking of infrastructural governance, social responsibility, and sustainability in northern communities.
The article analyzes the returns of the 2010 and 2020 All-Russian censuses, focusing on linguistic practices of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Russian Arctic. The authors take a comparative perspective to examine the ethnodemographic situation and current state of language preferences of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Arctic through the lens of the census results and legal framework analysis. The research findings indicate that during the analyzed period, the population of the indigenous small-numbered peoples in the Russian Arctic increased, likely reflecting the impact of legislative and ideological initiatives focused on shaping indigenous identity. Similarly, there was a rise in their self-identification with the native languages. Yet, a downward trend in their native language proficiency allows concluding on the native language being mostly a symbol of national consciousness rather than a linguistic indicator. While more populous indigenous peoples have managed to preserve their attachment to the native language as they enjoy the practice of everyday communication in their mother tongue, the native languages of small-numbered indigenous peoples are more vulnerable and, as such, require a comprehensive approach to their ethnic identity and native languages' preservation.
This article explores how the migration of Islamic peoples to the Russian Far North creates new communities, identities, and infrastructure for their everyday lives. We studied the adaptation strategies of Muslim migrants to Arctic Russia to understand how Islamic people adapt to this new location and how host communities also change. We conducted surveys in 2018, 2019, and 2022 and collected data to understand migration trends. Our analysis suggests that the adaptation of Muslim migrants to the arctic environment is difficult, but that they provide a vibrant contribution to everyday life in Arctic regions. Migrants arriving in the North adapt to existing public spaces and create new public and private spaces to thrive. These communities provide important symbolic and practical frameworks for everyday living. We find that Muslim communities are gradually adapting religious and cultural practices to arctic conditions, and they seek recognition that a legitimate Arctic Islamic/Muslim identity has developed. We conclude with a discussion of how Islam is closely connected with the future of the Russian North in unexpected ways.
This paper presents the building of a spatial-temporal database called SPACK, dedicated to the presence of hunting and fishing vessels in the waters of the French Southern Islands (TAAF): Saint-Paul, Amsterdam, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands, located between $37<^>{\circ }$37 degrees S and $49<^>{\circ }$49 degrees S latitudes. Although remote and uninhabited, these islands' coasts have been exploited since the late 18th century and integrated into a globalized trade network. Until France re-asserted its sovereignty a century later, they were considered res nullius. Knowledge about the vessels that hunted and fished on these islands was necessary to understand the history of the appropriation and exploitation of natural resources and the issues of public policies to preserve the environment. The SPACK database includes 1,241 hunting and fishing voyages recorded by area, involving twelve departure countries. This paper describes the methods used to collect, select and cross-reference data extracted from disparate and dispersed primary and secondary sources. It discusses the reliability of spatial and temporal data and presents the implementation of the database. Finally, it presents a use case for the SPACK database with a summary of the key findings related to sealing and whaling expeditions.Abbreviations: SPACK Saint-Paul Amsterdam Crozet Kerguelen, TAAF Terres Australes et Antarctiques Fran & ccedil;aises, WHDB Whaling History Database
This article examines how the concept of urban comfort is articulated in official planning frameworks and experienced by residents in Russian Arctic cities. Focusing on Novy Urengoy and Tarko-Sale, we analyze strategic documents, master plans, and ethnographic data to reveal a persistent gap between technocratic visions of comfort and the embodied, relational ways it is practiced in everyday life. While policy documents emphasize visual modernization and infrastructure, residents highlight care, coping, recovery, and informal social infrastructure as key to comfort. The study demonstrates that Arctic urbanism requires attention to seasonal rhythms, bodily needs, and differentiated user capacities, especially those of women and the elderly. We propose reframing comfort as a political and social achievement rather than a design output. This perspective contributes to critical urban studies by situating the Arctic as both a peripheral and generative site for rethinking livability, justice, and planning in climatically extreme environments.
This paper explores the encounters of mobilities and margins in relation to rural tourism by focusing on infrastructures. Tourism development usually follows infrastructural progress through eased access and shortening distances. Infrastructure investments, however, are dependent on political decisions and funding that tend to be negotiated somewhat far from the margins. The paper debates these issues in the context of potential tourism development in Melrakkasl & eacute;tta, a rural peninsula on the northeast coast of Iceland. After longstanding socioeconomic downturns, the locals have proposed tourism as a way to rebuild their community. For furthering the sector, a group of small local tourism services has formed a collaboration under the term Edge of the Arctic'. However, Melrakkasl & eacute;tta is located far northeast of the country's main entering point and travel routes. Here I investigate these matters with reference to policies and strategies of the Icelandic tourism authorities and narratives of the locals in Melrakkasl & eacute;tta, stemming from ethnographic research conducted in the area. The findings leave me to hypothesize about the possible effects that changes within the Icelandic mobility system might cause in Melrakkasl & eacute;tta and thereby on other tourism margins. This, I argue, is relevant as systems of mobility are constantly evolving and thereby themselves mobile.
