As a tourist in Iceland studying tourism, I would like to talk about how tourism may change the way a group of people is perceived by tourists. Walking through Reykjavik, Iceland, I notice many souvenir and gift shops, along with rather expensive restaurants, lining the pedestrian-friendly streets. Many of said souvenir gift shops and restaurants have themes to them that at first glance seem Icelandic, but upon further study, may not tie into the Icelandic culture as much as one would assume. For example, I saw quite a few souvenir shops that featured polar bears and puffins, boasting clothes with the word “Iceland” on them. Polar bears do not live in Iceland. And even though puffins can be found nesting in Iceland in the spring, they have not been noticeable in Icelandic culture until recent history. Not until 2005, in fact, when one shopkeeper decided to sell Chinese-made puffin figurines in his souvenir shop and tourists loved them. Soon, what locals call “puffin shops” have popped up throughout Reykjavik. According to an article published by the University of Iceland, many natives of Iceland do not relate to puffins at all and find it “disgusting” that puffin souvenirs sell so well in their country. This entanglement of the puffin and the polar bear with Icelandic identity is giving tourists a false sense of what Icelandic culture truly is and was before tourism to the country became so popular. Both the polar bear and the puffin are species commonly associated with the Arctic Circle and their presence in Icelandic souvenir shops is mixing Arctic Circle culture with Icelandic culture as well, even though the island is not in the Arctic Circle. However, Iceland is now being coaxed into incorporating an Arctic culture as puffins, polar bears, and even “Arctic clothing” are being advertised to tourists more frequently. Many of the clothing shops in the main shopping center of Reykjavik, such as 66 Degrees North and Arctic Explorer, also appear as if the island is within the Arctic Circle and that tourists must buy “authentic” Arctic clothing to survive the island’s harsh landscape. I have even seen a few Arctic Adventures buses driving around Reykjavik with tourists in them. This shift in Icelandic culture is rather alarming to the island’s inhabitants who have historically not associated themselves with either polar bears, puffins, or arctic living before. Their outward identity is being changed, not by something they did differently in their own lives, but by the effects that tourism has had on the island. More specifically, the consumerist side of tourism.
This situation is not unique to Iceland, however. False advertisements of local culture can even be seen in Minnesota. Minnesota is advertised as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” yet a small proportion of Minnesotans have a lake in their backyard. Not every Minnesotan knows how to fish or water ski, both of which are cliché “cultural” activities advertised on Minnesota travel sites. These advertisements show an outdoorsy and athletic Minnesotan lifestyle which can give a false sense of the common culture in Minnesota as only the richest and most privileged can experience lake life. Much like Icelanders do not commonly see themselves as Arctic peoples, many Minnesotans may not consider themselves to be athletic, outdoorsy lake people. Similar to the misplaced puffin representation in Reykjavik, the lynx representation in Minnesota has become skewed. Minnesota has a women’s basketball team with the name “The Lynx”. However, lynx are only spotted in northern Minnesota a few times each year and may no longer be considered a common species of Minnesota. The lynx plays little significance in the lives of most Minnesotans, much like the puffin has little significance to most Icelanders (until now), yet tourism and souvenirs that go along with it have kept the “Minnesota lynx” around. Lastly, the Mall of America has been a popular destination for tourists in Minnesota. Where I am from, most people have not been to the Mall of America, yet it is commonly advertised as one of the most popular places to visit in Minnesota. Though there are Minnesotans who have never been to this mall due to its high prices, advertisements of this mall give tourists a false sense that Minnesotans are highly consumeristic persons who enjoy shopping and spending money. But this may definitely not be the case, much like many people in Iceland may not identify with the Arctic culture that is slowly working its way into outside perceptions of Icelanders. These skewed perceptions of people who live in tourist destinations can often come from the advertisements that tourists see and the things that tourists buy. Tourists must think critically about the truths or falsehoods behind the souvenirs they purchase as well as the activities they partake in and whether or not they are truly authentic to the place they are visiting. If false perceptions get out of hand, they may end up being completely different from the true culture that once resided in a place, leading to the degradation of original cultures as time allows perceived identities to overshadow them. Even when “Arctic” clothing, puffins, and polar bears had no cultural significance to the Icelandic people, tourism allowed them to remain, thus altering the outward identity of Icelandic people that tourists perceive.