Regenerative Wellbeing in Arctic Tourism: Sense of Place and Community Resilience

Abstract

As Arctic and sub-Arctic destinations face increasing environmental, climatic, and social pressures, the tourism sector is being reimagined as a regenerative system that restores both human and ecological well-being. Tourism no longer serves just as an economic driver but as a catalyst for community resilience, cultural continuity, and care for the environment. This paper examines how nature-based and community-driven tourism in Iceland and Finnish Lapland cultivates resilience through a shared sense of place and explores how wellbeing can emerge as a collective, place-based achievement. Drawing on comparative qualitative research involving tourism organisations from Iceland and Lapland, the study investigates how tourism organisations embed local values, environmental respect, and care for people and place within their daily operations. The analysis highlights that the natural environment functions not only as the leading tourism attraction but also as a psychological, social, and cultural (re-)source for employees and residents. In both regions, connection with nature strengthens emotional resilience, job satisfaction, and commitment to sustainable practices, while also reinforcing a deeper understanding of Arctic fragility and interdependence. Leaders who integrate empathy, learning, and trust into their management styles promote supportive, value-driven workplaces that mirror the patterns of local settings. Community collaboration, storytelling, and shared outdoor experiences enhance belonging and stability, transforming tourism from seasonal employment into participation in living cultural ecosystems. The research demonstrates that regenerative wellbeing in tourism emerges when organisations align their operations with the ecological and cultural identity of their environment. In Iceland, this manifests through locally rooted entrepreneurship and community stewardship; in Lapland, through multicultural collaboration and a shared Arctic identity constructed through work in extreme environments. Both regions illustrate how tourism can move beyond sustainability toward the active renewal of ecosystems, cultural heritage, and human connection. By situating the sense of place and well-being at the centre of regenerative tourism, the paper contributes a framework linking leadership, culture, and community resilience.