Forever West Photography

Forever West Photography The official page of photographer David Broome.

It is a pleasure to share my latest publication, under the supervision of Dr. David Cook, Dr. Brynhildur Davidsdottir, a...
08/26/2026

It is a pleasure to share my latest publication, under the supervision of Dr. David Cook, Dr. Brynhildur Davidsdottir, and Dr. Benjamin Hennig, which has been published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism:

The paper is accessible here:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ngUC7tCXXcPdG

Aurora tourism is a popular and growing form of astro-tourism, which includes a variety of cultural ecosystem services (ES). Currently, there is limited knowledge about the cultural values underlying aurora tourism, or about the economic value of the experience from the perspective of the consumer.

This paper applies a linked sequential analysis using non-monetary and monetary valuation methods to evaluate the underlying cultural ES values associated with, and mean consumer surplus (CS) of, basecamp aurora tourism in a case study, located near Reykjavík, Iceland. A field survey is used, including five-point Likert items designed for a cultural ES framework, and contingent valuation (CV) to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) of aurora tourists beyond their ticket price of 4290 ISK (∼$32.69/€30.20).

From a sample of 474 respondents, four types of cultural ES interactions were identified (‘aesthetic interaction’, ‘physical-emotional interaction’, ‘spiritual interaction’ and ‘intellectual interaction’). From a sub-sample of 360 respondents, the mean CS was estimated to be 2295 ISK (∼$17.48/€16.15), rising to 2801 ISK ($21.33/€19.70) on nights with visible aurora, and reducing to 1885 ISK ($14.35/€13.26) when the aurora was not visible. Appearance of the aurora significantly increased feelings of connection to nature, awe, happiness, calmness, sense of place, adventure, and a special energy.

The results provide useful information about the underlying cultural and monetary values of basecamp aurora tourism experiences, including the significant role of co-production in value creation, which can have implications for the service design of aurora tourism operators as well as beneficiaries of the experience.

By estimating some of the cultural and economic values associated with viewing the aurora in a tourism context, the study further contributes to the discussion about the value of dark skies, which is an increasingly popular regulatory topic for mitigating light pollution in rural communities with tourism-based economies.

This study makes an empirical contribution to the tourism and cultural ES valuation literature, underpinning the aurora, and dark skies, as natural resources.

Broome, J. D., Cook, D., Davíðsdóttir, B., & Hennig, B. D. (2026). Linked non-monetary and monetary valuation of basecamp aurora tourism: An Icelandic case study. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 55, 101096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2026.101096

I am happy to share my latest publication, under the advisory of Dr. David Cook, Dr. Brynhildur Davidsdottir, and Dr. Be...
07/31/2026

I am happy to share my latest publication, under the advisory of Dr. David Cook, Dr. Brynhildur Davidsdottir, and Dr. Benjamin David Hennig, which has been published in the journal People and Nature (link below):

Shining light on the aurora's contributions to people: A qualitative study of the aurora borealis in Greenland
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pan3.70394

The aurora borealis (northern lights) is a beautiful natural phenomenon that creates value and benefits for people and society. We want to understand more about those benefits.

To learn about the benefits the aurora contributes to the well-being of people in Greenland, we undertook a novel application of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) framework. The IPBES framework seeks to better inform natural resource policy, management and decision-making, through the inclusion of diverse values of nature, from a variety of worldviews and knowledge systems. Despite the fact that abiotic elements of nature can have significant implications for well-being, applications of the IPBES framework in abiotic contexts are currently limited. The main aims of the study are to: (1) identify nature’s contribution to people (NCP) in Greenland from the aurora, and (2) explore how local stakeholders can enhance management of NCP from the aurora.

Based on 28 semi-structured interviews conducted primarily in Ilulissat, Kulusuk and Tasiilaq, we found that the aurora provides benefits to people across five key categories: (1) energy; (2) learning and inspiration; (3) physical and psychological experiences; (4) supporting identities; and (5) maintenance of options.

It is possible to enhance some of these benefits through policy- and decision-making, and interviewees identified a range of practical considerations for actors and institutions to consider, in the localities of Ilulissat in western Greenland and the Ammassalik region (Tasiilaq & Kulusuk) in eastern Greenland. These study sites are different from one another and can require different approaches for enhancing benefits related to the aurora. Ilulissat has a wider range of potential for co-producing value from the aurora, where there are more human-related resources, tools, and capabilities available. Tasiilaq and Kulusuk demonstrate more purely relational values (connections, interactions, and bonds), where tourism-related benefits are currently less developed.

The information about aurora benefits and the role of co-production we elicited in this study can help support and inform decision-making related to cultural heritage facilities, educational initiatives and tourism infrastructure with links to the aurora. The study also reflects on the usefulness of the IPBES framework in an abiotic context, which many people currently recognize as a significant conceptual gap.

Broome, J. D., Cook, D., Davíðsdóttir, B., & Hennig, B. D. (2026). Shining light on the aurora's contributions to people: A qualitative study of the aurora borealis in Greenland. People and Nature, 00, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70394

The study is also featured on the journal's blog, here:
https://relationalthinkingblog.com/2026/07/08/plain-language-summary-shining-light-on-the-auroras-contributions-to-people-a-qualitative-study-of-the-aurora-borealis-in-greenland/

Address

Applewood, CO
80401

Telephone

+13039165709

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Forever West Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Forever West Photography:

Shortcuts

Share

Category