At the limit? Norway's bid for sustainable Arctic tourism

Issued on: 27/05/2022 - 

02:30A Hurtigruten hybrid tourism boat navigates next to an ice sheet off Norway's Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. © AFP

Video by: Sam BALL

It is home to polar bears, pristine glaciers and majestic mountains. But Norway's Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is facing a conundrum: How to welcome masses of tourists without destroying this fragile environment. Although authorities and tour operators have taken steps to limit tourism's impact, significant challenges remain, not least the vast carbon footprint of air travel to the remote region.