New Nordic Cooperation to Study Sami Rights and Environmental Protection in the North A new Nordic research project will explore how climate change and tourism add pressure to the nature and Indigenous ways of living in the Arctic. The project will look at how legislation and political frameworks can be utilized to ensure the sustainable management of national parks in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Is the Arctic Prepared for a Large-Scale Cruise Ship Incident? Bodø, Northern Norway (High North News): Cruise tourism is ever-growing in the Arctic, but is the region prepared for a large-scale cruise ship incident? The short answer is no, but we're getting there, says preparedness experts at the Arctic Council's Arctic Emergency Management Conference.
Arctic Tourism Destinations: From Wilderness to Disneyland Bodø (High North News): Arctic tourism destinations develop to match the imagined idea of their visitors, an idea often derived from social media. This leads to a ‘Disneyfication’ of Arctic destinations, oftentimes at the cost of local people and places’ needs.
Expedition Vessel Ran Aground in Spitsbergen The expedition vessel MS Virgo with 20 persons onboard has ran aground in Fuglefjorden on northwestern Spitsbergen in Svalbard. No one is hurt, however, the ship leaks fuel.
Northwest Russia: Rural Villages are Becoming a New Tourist Attraction Since the Soviet collapse in 1991, the rural population has been exploring new economic opportunities. Tourism is one of them.
The High North Tour 2021: The Coast-Based Tourist Industry Aims for Norwegians This Year Too The pandemic prevented foreign tourists last year, though Kjartan Danielsen Carlsen is happy that Norwegians too discovered Northern Norway. On the day when I visited Nyksund and Sea Safari Øksnes, only the weather stopped him from going out at sea.
Unanimous Finance Committee Support for Svalbard Tourism Crisis Package The Norwegian parliament’s finance committee proposes a new NOK 40 million crisis package for the tourist industry in Svalbard.
New program launched to help bolster Yukon tourism operators The tourism industry will be the industry hit hardest and longest by the effects of COVID-19. Tourism Industry Association Yukon (TIAY) has created a program that focuses on developing businesses for re-entry into tourism markets once travel restrictions are lifted.
Covid-19 in the Arctic: “It has Pretty Much Decimated the Industry” Nearly one in four businesses in Nunavut's tourist industry experienced a decrease of more than 50 percent in sales revenue in the first three months of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. They expect it to become much worse.
Unemployment rate in Alaska remains high as tourism takes hit from Covid-19 The state of Alaska sees almost 38,000 fewer jobs in June 2020 compared to same period last year. The leisure and hospitality industries experienced the biggest loss as Covid-19 crisis halts tourism season.
“We look forward to welcoming guests” After mandatory quarantine was introduced for incoming travelers in March due to Corona, Svalbard is no re-opening for travelers from the Norwegian mainland.
Wants to Lift Quarantine in Svalbard: “No Point in Waiting” Tourism companies in Svalbard are in despair over massive losses and request a date for reopening for tourists, just like the rest of Norway. “There is no longer any reason to maintain the quarantine”, says Svalbard’s Infection Control Chief Medical.
We are Safely Sheltered from the Pandemic, Yet at the Eye of the Economic Storm Commentary: We are surely the only newspaper in the world to publish infection figures for Arctic and the High North every day. This is where we find our flock, as Tromsø Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen refers to his inhabitants. So far, statistics show that our politicians, health care workers, bureaucrats and – not to forget - the people who live up here in the High North are managing to keep the pandemic at bay.
