Postmodern tourism. The Santa Claus Industry

In the 1980s, Finnish tourist authorities launched a new tourism strategy for the province of Lapland. It was designated Santa Claus Land and marketing plans and tourist attractions were developed around this theme. The centerpiece of the strategy was the Santa Claus Village in the city of Rovaniemi. This study examines the development of a Santa Claus industry in Lapland, and applies critical theory to develop an understanding of why tourists visit such attractions. It is argued that Santa Claus acts as a marker for the intangible attraction of Christmas, and that Santa Claus has become increasingly commodified, allowing tourists to consume intangible concepts such as Christmas. © 1994