Community perceptions to climate change in Finnish Lapland

This thesis focuses on the interplay between tourism development and community-based adaptation, which represents an emerging approach in climate change and tourism research. It aims to assess the current and future vulnerabilities of two communities in Northern Finland. The empirical vulnerability assessment was conducted through 47 semi-structured interviews in two case study communities in Finnish Lapland: Kilpisjärvi and Saariselkä. The results indicate that the current vulnerability in terms of tourism development arises from a limited coping range and strong seasonality. Additional vulnerability is generated through relatively intangible factors related to social vulnerability such as the effects on place attachment and the role of conflicts.