What is it about?
This paper offers a geographical, anthropological and historical analysis of current tourism development in the Yamal Peninsula, Northern Siberia, Russia. Through qualitative research it highlights the institutional, regulatory and socio-cultural trends of the indigenous society of this marginal region. Currently the traditional economic activity of reindeer herding, which offers autonomy to its nomadic communities, is threatened by local oil and gas industry development. Whilst the introduction of tourism is being pursued by authorities as beneficial to indigenous populations, this research explores power imbalances expressed through space relating to the works of Harvey (1989), Lefebvre (1991) and Gavanta (2006). Findings illustrate conflict characterised by external forces steering local communities towards the tourism industry as an economic aspect of regional strategy.
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Why is it important?
Marxist theorists using critical approaches on power have tended to focus on issues around the equality of power relations between actors or stakeholders, the inherently spatial nature of power has received less emphasis. This paper focuses on an exploration of the spatiality of power which surrounds indigenous community, its traditional economic activity (reindeer herding) and involvement of indigenous community in tourism industry development.
Perspectives
I sincere hope that this article might add a new persepctive to how the issue of power can be explored.
Dr Tatiana Gorbuntsova
University of Derby
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Diverse geographies of power and spatial production: Tourism industry development in the Yamal Peninsula, Northern Siberia, Annals of Tourism Research, May 2019, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2019.03.006.
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