The Sami culture attracts tourists where Sami tourism business is very much about spreading knowledge and increasing understanding of Sami culture.
The Sámi Parliament has decided that tourism can be a good source of information for the majority community.
– It gives a positive image, sometimes it is felt that what is conveyed about the Sami is only conflicts. But here is an opportunity to change that image, says Ingela Nilsson, head of department Sami industries Samitinget, in this week’s 15 minutes from Sápmi.
She gets the support of tourism entrepreneurs.
– It is a good complement to all the other sources that exist, we have to build a strong society with a positive outlook, says Lotta Svensson, tourism entrepreneur.
“Softer form of activism”
One who has worked with tourism for nearly 30 years is Nils Torbjörn Nutti, where reindeer are the foundation of his business.
– It is the reindeer and our traditional way of life that attract. A tourist wants to come here and hear how we live, that’s knowledge for them. They show great interest and can be used as ambassadors, you can influence them because they don’t know how to make a fire, how reindeer live, what nature looks like, how cold it is and how sensitive the lands are. If you pay, you want to know what it’s like, it’s a softer form of activism.
“Convey a true picture”
Tourism entrepreneur Lennart Pittja partially agrees.
– I think it is important to tell, but I don’t know if I would call it activism to tell how things are, it is rather to convey a true picture. I think that is the big threat to Sápmi in the long term, ignorance and invisibility. Tourism is my resistance to that, he says.
However, there are no measurements of how well Sami tourism functions as a source of knowledge. But Lotta Svensson believes that their work is yielding results.
– I see a big difference, I see that people are coming back who were here 10-15 years ago and are very well-read. So I feel it gives spread.
See this week’s 15 minutes from Sápmi on Saturday at 17:00 in SVT2. Or anytime on SVT Play.