About the conference

The conference represents the bi-annual meeting of the International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN). Membership in the network includes university researchers, consultants, tourism operators, government organizations, community members, and graduate students dedicated to analysing tourism in Arctic and Antarctic settings. The IPTRN strives to generate, share and disseminate knowledge, resources and perspectives on polar tourism; and strongly supports the development of international collaboration and cooperative relationships between members.

Four other conferences have been held prior to this event, usually involving community workshops where participants’ insights are brought to bear on local tourism issues. The preceding events:

2008: 1st IPTRN conference and community workshop - Montreal/Kangiqujuaq, Canada
2010: 2nd IPTRN conference - Abisko, Sweden
2012: 3rd IPTRN conference and community workshop - Nain, Canada
2014: 4th IPTRN conference and community workshop – Christchurch/Akaroa, New Zealand
2016: 5th IPTRN conference and community workshop - Raufarhöfn, Iceland
The 6th IPTRN will be held in 2018 in the Yukon, Canada.

The IPTRN committee and the conference's scientific committee:
The conference’s scientific committee is also the steering committee of the IPTRN appointed 3rd September 2014. The scientific committee reviews all papers submitted to the conference. The committee is represented by:

Chair: Dr. Machiel Lamers, Assistant Professor at the Environmental Policy group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Vice-chair: Dr. Edward H. Huijbens, professor at the University of Akureyri, Iceland and researcher at the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre

Others:
Dr. Daniela Liggett, lecturer at Gateway Antarctica at University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Dr. Emma Stewart, senior lecturer at Lincoln University, New Zealand
Dr. Pat Maher, associate professor at Cape Bretton University, Canada
Dr. Suzanne de la Barre, professor at Vancouver Island University, Canada
Dr. Dieter K. Müller, professor at Umeå University, Sweden
Dr. Jackie Dawson, assistant professor University of Ottawa, Canada
Dr. Patrick Brouder, Banting postdoctoral Fellow at Brock University, Canada

Student representative: Brittany Manley, Adventure Canada, Ontario, Canada.

The organising committee
The organisation, planning and execution of the 5th IPTRN is the responsibility of the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (ITRC), represented by:

Edward H. Huijbens, professor at the University of Akureyri and researcher at the ITRC
Eyrún J. Bjarnadóttir, researcher at the ITRC

The organisers work in close collaboration with the local tourism cluster Edge of the Arctic.