In the record year 2018, 57 000 passengers came via Longyearbyen port. This year, it is planned for a whopping 75 000, according to Svalbardposten.

The paper writes that it is expected that 35 conventional cruise ships with 50 000 passengers will call in Longyearbyen port. In addition, it is expected that around 25 000 passengers will arrive via airplane at Svalbard airport to participate in expedition cruises.

Community council leader Arild Olsen in Longyearbyen expresses that the increase in traffic is worrying. "Longyearbyen needs a break from the growth in cruise traffic," he says to the newspaper.