Social Innovations for Resilience—Local Tourism Actor Perspectives in Kemi, Finland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recently, resilience has been highlighted in tourism studies. This article examines resilience through a social innovation framework which includes identifying the needs for and envisioning ways of building resilience, emphasizing collaboration, and co-creating outcomes. The aim is to explore the role of social innovations in local resilience-building. Ethnographic insights are drawn from Kemi, Finland, where tourism is faced with challenges, which has created visions of how tourism could develop differently. Tourism actors’ needs and visions regarding tourism t and perceptions on cooperation are analyzed with a case of a tourism diversification project on the island of Laitakari. It is concluded that a social innovation framework can help in conceptualizing resilience-building and potentially enhance the sustainability of tourism. This can take place by enhancing diversification and inclusion of local culture, constructing multi-sectoral and communal dialogue, and identifying environmentally friendly visions for long-term resilience. The Laitakari case demonstrates this kind of development process.