My field of study is not taken seriously
My field of study is not taken seriously
“You’re throwing away your abilities! If I were you, I would have chosen something more serious,” a friend told me when I said I had applied for master’s degree in nature-based tourism. I just wish other people knew how important it is to work for sustainable tourism – and all the other exiting possibilities this education gives me.
Writer: Maia Sunniva Finnestrand
Translator: Rebekka Aasbø
Illustrator: Linnea Santi Moe
I faced the prejudices before the start of my studies. A fellow student thought the study program wasn’t “serious enough,” and I have later encountered several misconceptions. A lot of people think I’m learning how to make money from tourism. Others think sustainability has no natural home in tourism. These notions are so far from the reality I am learning about.
What is nature-based tourism?
Nature based tourism can be described in many ways. One definition is that it’s about human activities in natural areas outside of one’s normal surroundings. The programme is therefore in the intersection between nature management, tourism and outdoor life. Already on our first day we were told that nature management isn’t just about nature, but also humans. Even with the right knowledge about how nature should be taken care of, human activities often create challenges. As a part of our master programme, we explore the conflicts that can arise when we use nature for outdoor activities. In addition, we learn about visitor management, which is an important tool to ensure that outdoor activities and tourism do not come at the expense of nature or local communities.
Why choose nature-based tourism?
Nature-based tourism wasn’t always my first choice. After a bachelor’s degree in ecology and nature management it felt natural to continue with a master’s degree in nature management. Nevertheless, I realised that humans often are the biggest challenge in nature management. I was therefore attracted to the societal perspective that nature-based tourism offered.
The programme is also interdisciplinary. In my class, we have backgrounds from fields of study like social geography, economics, outdoor activities, as well as ecology and nature management. This means that we learn from each other and can develop good solutions that take into account several perspectives.
From challenges to solutions
The societal perspective is particularly important in the face if the rapid growth of tourism. Tourism has a major impact on both the environment and society. On one hand, tourism is Norway’s fifth largest export industry, and provides both jobs and income to the municipalities. On the other hand, increased visitor growth can lead to a reduced desire to live and price increases in local communities. Increased pollution, littering and nature loss may also follow, with particularly vulnerable natural areas being hit hard.
As tourism characterizes many sectors, it is important for sustainable development. The United Nations Tourism Organization (UNWTO) actually believes that the tourism industry can contribute to solving all of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – from the economy and social conditions to climate and the environment. Stortinget also supports the approach, and through the tourism white paper has highlighted tourism as a key to sustainable solutions. Future industrial policy will therefore focus on increased value creation within a sustainable framework.
We need more people with tourism expertise
To succeed with the sustainable transition, the national tourism strategy calls for increased knowledge. Tourism education is therefore both sought after and necessary for future development. Expertise that extends beyond tourism management is particularly needed, and includes nature management, sustainability and outdoor recreation. Only NMBU offers this.
Despite increased demand, there are still fewer and fewer people choosing tourism education. In 2012, there were nine campuses with tourism programmes at bachelor’s level. Now there is only one left (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) that has admission in 2025. At the master’s level, the opportunities are also few: nature-based tourism at NMBU or experience-based master’s in tourism management at UiT. This gap only makes our field of expertise even more important, and our expertise more sought after.
A sea of opportunities
Feedback from employers shows that the master’s degree in nature-based tourism provides good and interdisciplinary competence. This allows us to solve complex problems. Former students have, among other things, ended up in jobs as a project manager at Future in Our Hands, a researcher at NINA, a nature guide on Hardangervidda, a national park manager or self-employed. For example, former student Linda Henriksen got a job as a protected area manager in Trollheimen right after her master’s degree. The knowledge she had in visitor management meant that she outperformed approx. 50 applicants with extensive experience in both biology and nature management.
Visitor management will also become increasingly important in the future. The Norwegian Environment Agency requires, among other things, that all national parks must have their own visitor strategies. At the same time, several municipalities, such as Senja and Hemsedal, have started to hire their own visitor managers. The municipalities may also receive more funding for visitor management in the future, if the government’s new proposal for a tourist tax is adopted. This is thus just the start of a growing labour market.
An important field towards sustainable tourism
It is high time that nature-based tourism is valued as an important subject area. Nature-based tourism is about responsibility and sustainability – not just commercial considerations. We must address the challenges and work for sustainable development. Only in this way can the environment and local communities benefit more from tourism in the future.
