A potential treasure for tourism : crafts as employment and a cultural experience service in the Nordic North

Crafted souvenirs, craft-based service production and an increasing interest in creative tourism are enabling job opportunities in Nordic North, where tourism as an employer is growing fast. However, tourism offers mainly seasonal jobs and leads to the erosion of local culture if services are not authentic. Based on the interviews and service design workshops, the authors have studied the needs and expectations for craft-based services among crafters in Finnish Lapland. Crafters are lifestyle entrepreneurs who see tourism as necessary for their livelihood but hesitate to commit to large-scale tourism collaboration. Continuing education, networking, joint spaces for producing creative tourism services and a common label support not only crafters in finding employment but also cultural sustainability of the area.