Norway and Finland Northern Lights Fjord tour

Planet

Several of your accommodations on this itinerary are Nordic Choice hotels, who we support due to their outstanding sustainability policies. This group of hotels are ISO 14001 certified (which is given to enterprises that have a high-quality environmental managing system), has launched plastic free initiatives in partnership with WWF, where possible is powered by renewable energy and are taking great strides to reduce water consumption and reduce the use of chemicals. Even though access to water is not an issue in Nordic countries compared to other parts of the world, this hotel is conscious of the energy consumed for heating, and chemicals required for purification, so reduction makes up part of their overall environmental policy. In addition to this they provide sustainable, organic, fair-trade food, and only use sustainably produced palm oil. Your hosts also encourage guests to eat less meat and substitute this for plant-based alternatives.

Your glass igloo hosts in Ivalo were the first accommodation in Northern Lapland to receive the Green Key award, the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education. Some examples of how they carry this out include offering recycling facilities in all cabins and no longer offering plastic bottles in accommodations, along with protecting the diversity of the surrounding nature, i.e., bird house and insect hotels. Hiking, biking, and skiing tracks are direct from the hotel and as such they encourage low carbon activities such as snowshoeing and toboggans.

Your journey along the iconic Norwegian coastline comprises a large element of this tour. Traditionally the company Hurtigruten had exclusive access to this route, but in 2017 the Norwegian government ended their 130-year monopoly by granting Havila access and allowing them to also take travelers along the coastline. With this change comes innovation; traditionally the ships on this route are powered by fossil fuels however the Havila ships are fitted with batteries and can partly run on renewable hydroelectric power. Not only will the lack of noise and emissions improve the tourist experience and disruption to the environment, but the approach is essential to meet the strict zero emissions regulations for the fjord region to be introduced by the Norwegian government later this decade. We are proud to partner with Havila for this journey, and welcome their newer, greener ships.

People

As a company Sustainable tourism is at the forefront of our business philosophy, and supporting local people and their businesses to ensure socio-economic benefit and sustainability for local communities is at the heart of what we do. Supporting local businesses is core to this itinerary, with that in mind all of the accommodations have been selected for their ties to the community and for their best practices in supporting staff welfare.

Havila, a family owned company set up in the 1950’s traditionally as a fishing and shipping company, are dedicated to supporting the local economy and proud to showcase the best of Norway. The ships are outfitted in Norwegian brands, food is sourced locally at ports, they encourage the use of public transport when docked and excursions are run by some of the best local guides.

In Finland, tourism has developed quickly. Back in 1950 over half the workforce worked in forestry and agriculture, now tourism is the biggest employer in the region and in the last decade alone overnight stays in Lapland have doubled. With that comes a great deal of responsibility to ensure that tourism develops sympathetically and with due care to the environment in which it promotes.

In Ivalo your glass igloo hosts support the wellbeing of local cultures and languages by informing and familiarizing visitors and staff with Sami culture in collaboration with representatives from the mentioned indigenous people, this includes collaboration with local Reindeer Farms. Very few Sami people still work in traditional Reindeer Farms so it is important that they receive the support from local businesses.