[mynd 1 h]Fimmtudaginn 2. maí fara fram tvær meistaraprófskynningar við meistaranámið í haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun við Háskólasetur Vestfjarða. Klukkan 17:00 kynnir Maik Brötzmann lokaritgerð sína sem ber titilinn Arctic and Subarctic Gateways for Private Nautical Tourism: A Feasibility Study for a Marina Development in Ísafjörður, Iceland. Í ritgerðinni beinir Maik sjónum að því hvort þjónusta við siglingaferðalanga, sem koma á eigin vegum, sé efnahagslega hagkvæmt form ferðaþjónustu fyrir strandsamfélag á borð við Ísafjörð. Megin viðfangsefni ritgerðarinnar er að öðlast skilning á þessum möguleikum, efnahagslegum og skipulagslegum afleiðingu þeirra, sem og einkennum hugsanlegra notenda þjónustunnar. Sjá nánari upplýsingar í úrdrætti hér að neðan. Leiðbeinandi verkefnisins er prófessor Marc L. Miller, fastur gesta kennari við meistaranámið í haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun og kennari við Washington Háskóla í Seattle í Bandaríkjunum. Pródómari er Catherine Chambers, doktorskandídat við háskólann í Alaska, kennari við Háskólann á Hólum og sérfræðingur í strandmenningu við Þekkingarsetrið á Blönduósi.

[mynd 2 h]Fyrr um daginn, eða kl. 15:00 kynnir Hildur Sólveig Elvarsdóttir lokaritgerð sína um möguleika og áskoranir tengdar náttúruferðamennsku í Nuup Kangerlua á Grænlandi. Ritgerð Hildar Sólveigar ber titilinn An Approach Towards Sustainable Coastal Tourism Management: Nature-based Tourism in Nuuk Fjord, Greenland. Nuup Kangerlua er stórt og flókið kerfi fjarða sem sem hafa að geyma höfuðstað Grænlands Nuuk en janframt smáþorpið Kapisillit, innst í firðinum. Að mestu leyti er fjörðurinn ósnert víðerni þar sem veiðar, fiskveiðar og ýmis afþreyingar ferðamennska á sér stað og e.t.v járnnáma í framtíðinni. Hin ósnertu víðerni bjóða upp á aukningu í ferðamennsku sem getur bæði falið í sér jákvæðar og neikvæðar afleiðingar fyrir umhverfi, samfélag og efnahag. Sjá nánari upplýsingar um verkefnið í úrdrætti hér að neðan. Leiðbeinandi verkefnisins er prófessor Marc L. Miller, fastur gesta kennari við meistaranámið í haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun og kennari við Washington Háskóla í Seattle í Bandaríkjunum. Pródómari er Catherine Chambers, doktorskandídat við háskólann í Alaska, kennari við Háskólann á Hólum og sérfræðingur í strandmenningu við Þekkingarsetrið á Blönduósi.

Kl, 15:00, Hildur Sólveig Elvarsdóttir
An Approach Towards Sustainable Coastal Tourism Management: Nature-based Tourism in Nuuk Fjord, Greenland

Úrdráttur
This thesis discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with nature-based tourism in Nuup Kangerlua, Greenland. Nuup Kangerlua is a complex fjord system that is home to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and Kapisillit, a small village inst in the fjord. The fjord is mostly wilderness where hunting, fishing, recreation activities, tourism, transport, and perhaps soon to be iron ore mining take place. The wilderness offers opportunities for increased tourism development. Such development opportunities can cause both positive and negative impacts on the environment, society and the economy. Three key concepts introduced in this thesis for sustainable nature-based coastal tourism development in Nuup Kangerlua include sustainable coastal tourism management, nature-based tourism, and the Broker-Local-Tourist (BLT) model. Three assessments were conducted for Nuup Kangerlua and served as the tools needed in order to develop and manage sustainable tourism. The BLT assessment showed that the actors of the tourism sector in Nuup Kangerlua have a close relationship; most tourists either visit family or are in Nuuk on business. The natural amenity and facility assessment showed that Nuup Kangerlua has many nature-based amenities although the facilities for nature-based tourism activities are modest and should be developed and marketed to meet the tourism needs. The conflict assessment showed that conflicts within the tourism sector, as well as growing conflicts with other coastal sectors, were present. As a result of the assessments, it is recommended to increase tourism marketing in Nuuk. In order to increase the number of tourism sites visited and increase the number of tourists, it is recommended that recreation areas be identified and labeled. Planning for a marine protected area and biosphere reserve should also be commenced. To reduce conflict within the tourism sector and between coastal sectors, it is recommended that nature guidelines and integrated coastal zone management be introduced for Nuup Kangerlua.

[mynd 3 h]Kl. 17:00, Maik Brötzmann
Arctic and Subarctic Gateways for Private Nautical Tourism: A Feasibility Study for a Marina Development in Ísafjörður, Iceland

Úrdráttur
Private nautical tourism in arctic and subarctic settings has been generally neglected in polar tourism studies. This thesis draws attention towards private nautical tourism as a viable economic supplement and alternative form of tourism for rural coastal communities. Understanding this opportunity, its economic and management implications, and its users' characteristics are the core of this research. The study covers basic concepts and provides a feasibility assessment for marina development via SWOT analysis for a gateway functioning community in the secluded Westfjords of Iceland. Research data are compiled from secondary sources, interviews, questionnaires and a synthesis of related scientific articles, industry and policy documents, media publications, and baseline information. The case study confirms the conditional economic feasibility of private nautical tourism developments in high-latitude gateway locations and reveals users as adventure-seeking, authenticity-driven and environmentally-motivated. It is concluded that marina-oriented developments meeting certain conditions can be beneficial to remote rural arctic and subarctic communities in diverse ways. However, because of short and unpredictable seasons and changing user volumes, private sector marinas must be integrated with other business in the community to be profitable.