Institutional limits of sustainability in tourism governance

Changing governance rationalities in protected area tourism in Finland

Bibliographic Data

ID21723979
AuthorsAapo Lunden (0000-0001-9327-9351, University of Oulu, corresponding author), Juha Saarinen (0000-0002-9327-6932, University of Oulu), C M Hall (0000-0002-7734-4587, University of Oulu), Chris Hall (0000-0002-5629-8147, University of Canterbury)
Year2025
Volume24
Issue4
Pages461-481
Publication date2025-10-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ecotourism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1472-4049 • E-ISSN: 1747-7638
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14724049.2025.2458536
OpenAlexW4407040321
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited53

This study examines the co-evolution of tourism and the administration of Finnish protected areas (PAs), specifically focusing on how administrative legitimacy-seeking influences sustainable tourism governance. Drawing on concepts from new institutional theory, namely isomorphism (organizational convergence), legitimacy-seeking (the pursuit of societal approval), and decoupling (the separation of formal structures from practices), we analyse key policy documents and annual reports from Finnish Parks and Wildlife from 2005 to 2018. The findings of our study reveal a dual shift in PA governance: ‘platformisation,’ where PAs are transformed into state-orchestrated platforms that facilitate the creation of value and legitimacy through the growth of tourism, and ‘corporatization,’ where private sector governance logics are adopted within public administration. These shifts redefine the state's role in commercializing nature, emphasizing economic outputs and regional development mediated by tourism. We observe a decoupling of organizational practices between broader environmental policies and tourism development objectives, driven by the pursuit of legitimacy. Overall, this research contributes to the critical discourse on the evolution of PA governance. It highlights the significance of understanding these institutional constraints in the context of sustainable tourism governance and evaluates the wider environmental policy implications of tourism growth

Business · Corporate governance · Economics · Ecotourism · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Political science · Sustainability · Sustainable tourism · Tourism · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Management and Organizational Studies · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Ecology · Finance

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