'Hunting the light'. A study of a tourist group and its learning experiences on board the Norwegian coastal steamer Hurtigruten.

摘要

This paper deals with learning experiences on board the Norwegian coastal steamer MS Nordlys, which is part of the Hurtigruten's fleet. It is argued that these steamers play an important role in Arctic winter tourism in Norway. The paper is based on empirical observations on a group of English tourists that was part of a 'Hunting the Light' setup, in which English tourists fly from London to Tromso, and then embark on one of the coastal steamers. In this paper, the role of learning in tourist experiences is assessed, not only in relation to the effects regarding learning and well-being, but also how the current setup of Hurtigruten affects group dynamics and social bonding.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2011.627375