Responsible tourism in the Arctic
With such a bleak outlook, it’s easy to question the ethics of flying to the Arctic at all. But flying to the Arctic contributes just as much to global warming as flying to any other destination does. In fact, tourism here can be a force for good; traveling in national parks and wildlife reserves involves paying park fees, which support the maintenance, protection and monitoring of these wilderness areas, as well as encouraging the creation of new protected areas. Visiting remote Inuit communities brings in much needed income and supports a disappearing way of life. And onboard lectures from polar experts offer an unrivalled chance to learn, creating a shipful of ambassadors who will return home to spread the word about the disappearing Arctic.
Our Arctic cruising Vacations
Arctic sailing voyages, Spitsbergen
Experience sailing in the fjords
North Spitsbergen cruise, in search of Polar Bears
Expert Led, Polar Bears, Whales, Birdlife, photography
Spitsbergen Arctic Cruise
An exciting wildlife cruise around the Svalbard archipelago
Chukotka and Wrangel Island wildlife cruises, Russia
Explore Russian Arctic - home to Polar Bears, walrus & more
Arctic icebreaker cruise, Spitsbergen
Wildlife-focused, expert-led small ship Arctic cruises
Luxury Arctic cruise Spitsbergen & Franz Josef Land
A unique expedition to rarely visited Franz Josef Land
Arctic wildlife vacation, Polar bear explorer
A wildlife focused Arctic safari in Svalbard
Svarlbard luxury cruise in the Arctic
Polar bears, glaciers and snow covered mountains in luxury
Spitsbergen polar bear watching cruise
Venture into the staggering realm of the King of the Arctic
Iceland circumnavigation cruise
A thrilling, complete Iceland experience!
Northwest Passage cruise in the High Arctic
In-depth adventure along the fabled sea route
Arctic islands cruise, Iceland, Greenland and Spitsbergen
Discover the wild and rugged coasts of the Arctic
Highlights of Spitsbergen vacation
5 night cruise through the heart of the Arctic
Spitsbergen 2 week cruise, in depth
Rugged, wild, unspoiled and utterly unforgettable
North Atlantic arctic cruise, Aberdeen to Longyearbyen
Explore Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen
Spitsbergen widlife photography cruise
Photograph iconic Arctic wildlife
Northern Sea Route expedition cruise, 19 days
Historic cruise in the footsteps of Nordenskiöld
Canada remote arctic cruise, the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands
Russian Arctic cruises to Franz Josef Land
Voyage to icy archipelagos in the Russian High Arctic
Northern lights sailing vacation in Norway
Sailing and hiking in the land of the Aurora Borealis!
Russian Arctic Circle cruise with Wrangel Island
Unique expedition across the top of the world
Arctic highlights cruise, Oslo to Reykjavik
Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland
Wrangel and Herald Islands expedition cruise
Diverse, abundant wildlife, dramatic and volcanic landscapes
Spitsbergen, East Greenland to Iceland Arctic cruise
Expedition cruise taking in the Arctic highlights
Western Arctic cruise, Canada and Greenland
Venture where the sun never sets
Spitsbergen cruises, fjords, glaciers and wildlife
Explore the Svalbard Archipelago's stunning landscapes and wildlife
East Greenland cruise
Dramatic Arctic Mountains, Inuits, Towering Icebergs Whales
Northwest Passage Arctic cruise, Canada and Greenland
Retrace the steps of the intrepid Franklin Expedition
Svalbard in depth cruise
An 11-day exploration of Svalbard and its unique wildlife.
Arctic wildlife & environment
Drilling for oil in the Arctic
The likelihood of drilling being carried out above the Arctic Circle seems to be as much about politics as it is about business. In 2015, for example, the US government’s Obama administration blocked future prospects for oil drilling in Alaska, putting in place lease conditions that were supposed to make it impossible for prospectors to even set foot there. Just three years later, the Trump administration approved drilling in pristine waters 10km offshore and close to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the largest such refuge in the country. The oil company involved, Hilcorp, already has a history of leaks – the largest of which spilled over 4,000 gallons of oil in a Louisiana lake. Alaska, meanwhile, was the site of the Exxon Valdez Oil spill, when a tanker ran aground in Prince William Sound in 1980. 10.8 million gallons of oil were spilled into the water, in one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters to date.
Greenpeace’s longstanding Save the Arctic campaign has had an extraordinary impact on creating awareness about the environmental impact of drilling for oil, but it seems that when one concession is halted, another opens up. An Inuit community in Canada’s Baffin Island partnered with Greenpeace to campaign against oil exploration in the waters in front of their village, and in 2017 they won their long battle to end seismic testing in the area. But Norway is making inroads into the Barents Sea, one of the most accessible and regularly ice-free regions of the Arctic, where up to 17 billion barrels of oil may lie. Politics have again played a role in Arctic Russia, where US sanctions have slowed Russia’s oil explorations. Greenland however, plans to auction off its onshore oil blocks in 2021. With no international protections in place, unlike in Antarctica, damage to this fragile region looks highly likely.
The use of nuclear icebreakers, the hauling of icebergs to make way for rigs, seismic blasting, and the creation of roads and pipelines all have the potential to cause havoc in the Arctic ecosystem – not to mention the climate impacts of yet more fuel being burned. And of course, an Arctic oil spill could be catastrophic for wildlife above and below the ice, with cleanup operations hampered by the rig’s inaccessibility and harsh conditions. WWF has more information on their website.
What you can do
The inexhaustible Greenpeace runs ongoing campaigns and protests to protect the Arctic and halt further drilling and exploration. You can donate to their Save the Arctic campaign and sign up to receive updates.
WWF also does extensive work in the Arctic, including supporting polar bear research, assisting local communities to avoid conflict with wildlife, researching the impacts of climate change and establishing protected areas. They are also members of the Arctic Council, and as such can influence decisions made by the governing nations. There are several ways you can support WWF and their work.
Finally, if you do travel to the Arctic, choose a cruise that actively supports conservation through their own programmes or support of projects in the region. If you visit an inhabited area, such as Baffin Island, Chukotka or parts of eastern Greenland, spend time with local communities and spend your money in their restaurants, museums and craft shops to help support them. A damaged Arctic harms everyone – but these communities really are on the frontline, as their homes, food sources and culture are at risk.
People & culture
Before they disappear
The indigenous peoples living around the Arctic Circle have battled for centuries to maintain their unique ways of life. Historically, colonisation and European diseases, 'civilisation' and relocation, and even the spread of communism threatened traditional life, from Canada to Siberia. Today, indigenous peoples in the Arctic are largely recognised and protected, and communities are permitted to hunt, fish and occupy their ancestral lands. But now the lands themselves are facing a much bigger threat than ever before: climate change.Many traditional Arctic communities are dependent on the ocean for fishing, whaling and hunting seals. Around two thirds of adults in some Canadian Inuit communities harvest and hunt what is termed 'country food', while in Greenland, even those Inuit with more modern ways of life will still take their sled dogs and kayaks out to hunt seal, walrus and reindeer - using their meat, skin and bones. However, without ice cover to hold the land in place, the coast is eroding and villages are, literally, disappearing. The waters are rising around them and sea ice is flimsy; hunters can no longer drag their boats across it to the sea, leaving them stranded on the land and unable to sustain themselves and their families. As Greenland's hunters bring home less meat to feed the family, their wives take up paid work - and traditional skills begin to be forgotten. On the edge of the Bering Strait, a community of Alaskan Inuit has been described as the United States’ first 'climate change refugees' as their village succumbs to the rising waters.
Arctic drilling also poses a threat to subsistence lifestyles, as does the disappearance of the wildlife upon which these people depend. Most of us would cheer up at the thought of a longer, warmer summer, but suicide rates have rocketed amongst native Canadian and Greenlandic populations as the ice breaks up sooner each spring and the Arctic winter shrinks each year. Tragically, they are the ones paying the price of the high-consumption Western lifestyle that they have never subscribed to.
What you can do
Visiting an Inuit community is an eye-opening addition to your Arctic cruise itinerary. Baffin Island, Chukotka and Greenland are some of the best places to meet indigenous peoples – many of whom are actively involved in tourism, as a means of supplementing their income. Purchasing crafts and paying for tours or demonstrations can make a big difference to a struggling family.
Hunting – preserving culture or preserving wildlife?
Controversial as this may sound, polar bear hunting (as well as the hunting of other species, including seals and whales) is a strong tradition for native Arctic peoples. Every part of the bear is used – from the fur to the meat and the fat, and the Inuit know which bears are best to cull without damaging breeding populations. Inuit hunters can sell on the pelts, which can reach $3,000 to $4,000 - a hugely important source of income in these remote communities. And there are also schemes where they can supply the liver, pieces of fur and other body parts to researchers, to develop knowledge and understanding of the bears.
However, in Canada, communities are also permitted to sell on their quotas to non-native hunters. Permits are sold as part of a package – including several days’ food, transport and lodging – and the hunter must be accompanied by a native guide. With the package costing anywhere from $35,000 to $80,000, this is no small business for the Inuit, and many have come to depend on the income from hunters to remain in their Arctic villages, even as the sea ice melts and subsistence hunting becomes tougher. Although the hides are usually bagged by the hunters, the Inuit will still eat and preserve all the meat. Hunting also allows for the management of the polar bear populations which are straying ever closer to inhabited areas. Allowing polar bears to be killed by non native hunters is highly controversial, but given the Inuit's dependence on the meat, the bears would be killed anyway. Some have even suggested that selling the permits can result in fewer bears being killed, as trophy hunters are not as successful as native hunters.
While hunting may appear to be the antithesis of conservation, the current laws in Canada allow for sustainable hunting and the preservation of Inuit rights and culture. While polar bears are the poster child of climate change, and their numbers are declining, global figures don't represent what is happening at a local level, In the Canadian province of Labrador, for example, polar bear numbers are the highest they have been for decades.
Polar bear hunting is not legal in the US, by native Alaskans or any other communities; however, trophy hunters can cross the border and hunt bears in Arctic Canada. In 2008, the US passed a law preventing the import of polar bear artefacts – including skins and skulls. While the intention was good, the law meant that US hunters did not want to hunt bears as they could not bring their bounty home. In 206, 153 bears were killed by trophy hunters; by 2011 this had fallen to 26, with devastating impacts on Inuit communities. Guiding a hunt could allow a hunter to support his extended family. In 2016, following pressure from Inuit campaigners, the ban was overturned.
What you can do
While we don’t advocate hunting as a tourist, visitors to these regions should be aware that it is a traditional way of life – and one which has been sustainable for thousands of years. As a visitor to an Inuit community, the best thing you can do is travel with an open mind, and engage with your hosts to learn more about subsistence living in the Arctic.