Cruise tourism in the Arctic
© WWF / Miriam Geitz
The Arctic has for long been a classic territory for ship-based tourism. The archipelago of Svalbard, for example, located between the Norwegian mainland and the Northpole, has seen vessels with tourists since the 1890s.
Despite its remoteness and harsh climate, the Arctic attracts more and more visitors. Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is an ocean covered by an ice cap that never melts completely but expands and retreats seasonally.Under this ice cap and especially along its edge, the Arctic is alive with incredible rich marine wildlife, among them charismatic species such as polar bear, walrus and narwhale. But also the vegetation bursts to life during the few weeks in the summer, and the indigenous cultures in the North have to a greater degree than in other parts of the world managed to guard their lifestyle and traditions.
Ship-based tourism in the Arctic traditionally has been a small-scale expedition-type of travel and overall numbers have been comparatively low. However, the global cruise industry has seen significant growth in the past, a development that has led to bigger vessels, more destinations and more experienced cruise travelers.
As a result, interest in arctic cruising has been growing as well. In the last few years, Svalbard and Alaska, the most popular cruise destinations in the Arctic, have been visited by increasingly bigger vessels, and other parts of the region, e.g. arctic Canada or Greenland, start seeing regular cruise ship visits in the summer months.
Threats posed by an increasing cruise tourism industry
WWF is concerned about the overall impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the Arctic caused by the increased traffic of all types of vessels, and the variability in tour operator and tourist conduct on the voyages.
Svalbard is among the cruise industry's most popular destinations in the Arctic. In a recent report, WWF explores the actual and potential impacts this tourism activity can have on the sensitive arctic environment.
