Tourism in the Arctic is at risk due to intensifying permafrost degradation

Abstract Climate change is destabilizing Arctic landscapes by accelerating permafrost degradation, leading to more frequent slope failures, especially during summers. Summer is also the high touristic season for nature-based tourism in the Arctic, attracting visitors unfamiliar with permafrost-related risks. In this context, the Yukon, West Greenland, and Svalbard face both intensifying permafrost degradation and growing summer tourism, making them relevant cases for examining the intersections between permafrost and tourism. While studies and adaptation strategies prioritize local communities, they tend to overlook tourists, a growing demographic in permafrost regions. This tourism growth puts additional economic and safety burdens on local communities. It is argued that tourism should be more fully integrated into adaptation strategies to permafrost degradation and to that end, we propose three recommendations: stronger dialogue with tourism actors; target audiences for improved risk communication; integrate risk communication on permafrost degradation in tourism development goals. Overall, we claim that the inclusion of tourism in adaptation strategies will further contribute to Arctic communities’ resilience.