Stine Thidemann Faber & Jonatan Leer

A socially sustainable green transition requires the commitment and participation of women and men on an equal footing. However, opinion polls have recurringly shown that men have a lower orientation than women towards sustainable everyday habits and green consumer practices; a difference coined as the eco gender gap. This project seeks to investigate which intersecting dynamics foster or limit Danish men’s engagement in the greening of society and related changes in their everyday practices. Previous research findings indicate that traditional masculinity ideals and unhealthy ways of doing masculinity can act as a social/cultural barrier due to the strong cultural association between ‘greenness’ and femininity. If climate change policies and strategies are to achieve their desired effect, integrating a masculinities lens is crucial. Further, this lens provide knowledge on how to foster male engagement in outreach efforts of policy makers, organisations and municipalities.

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/projects/masculinities-in-green-transition-negotiating-gender-norms-and-tr

This project funded by the Norwegian Research Council explores the impacts of cruise tourism on Arctic communities in Norway, Greenland and Iceland. Based on interviews with local stakeholders and participant observation of cruise tourism activities, the project will contribute with tools to help cruise communities develop tourism in a more sustainable way.

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/projects/sustainable-arctic-cruise-communities-from-practice-to-governance

This project, funded by the Regional Studies Association, investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism regions in six countries across Europe (Denmark, Spain, Italy, Austria, Sweden and the UK). Drawing on an evolutionary economic geography framework, data collection included a survey of 150 destination organisations and 23 expert interviews. The project explored the extent to which tourism regions are trying to ‘bounce back’ to previous development paths or ‘bounce forward’ to develop in new directions.

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/projects/bouncing-back-or-bouncing-forward-place-leadership-and-post-pande

Part of the Kickstart Dansk Turisme initiative funded by Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse, this project was part of a collaboration with tourism organisations including Visit Aarhus, Danske Destinationer, Wonderful Copenhagen and Danish Coastal and Nature Tourism. The project investigated how tourism businesses and destinations in Denmark responded to the COVID-19 pandemic covering topics such as AI and big data, outdoor experiences, events and festivals, sustainability and Instagram marketing campaigns.

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/projects/viden-for-tiden-dansk-turisme-efter-covid-19

Innovation in Danish Coastal Tourism (InnoCoast, 2016-2019) sponsored by Innovation Fund Denmark. The purpose of the project was to generate research-based knowledge which would contribute to local companies’ innovation within nature, culture and food tourism. The focus centered on creating innovative tourism experiences through the interplay of public and private actors, tourists and local citizens in coastal areas.

Link: https://www.kultur.aau.dk/forskning/projekter/innocoast

The project was funded by EU’s Social Fund (2009-2012) and undertaken in cooperation with Architecture and Design, AAU. The purpose was to study the motives and practices of tourists (families with children) in holiday houses as well as the place-bound potentials along the Danish coast. On that background the project contributed to the development of the holiday house product, including the surrounding areas.

Tourism and Life-Long Learning (TOULL, 2012-2016, sponsored by the EU TEMPUS programme), creating tourism-relevant retraining for graduates and establishing tourism development partnerships in three Siberian regions. The project involved qualitative studies of local labour market demand and supply, and engaging local universities in extensive dialogue with public and private partners in the region in other to establish ongoing collaboration. 

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/projects/tourism-lifelong-learning-network

EURODITE (EU HORIZON FP6, 2005-2010). A project with 20+ European partners exploring knowledge dynamics in firms and regions. The AAU contribution focused on knowledge processes in tourism, from a theoretical perspective and within the region of North Jutland, as well as an extensive qualitative survey of regional developments bodies throughout Europe.

Link: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/projects/eurodite