Responsible tourism in Spitsbergen
Our Spitsbergen Holidays
North Spitsbergen cruise, in search of Polar Bears
Expert Led, Polar Bears, Whales, Birdlife, photography
Arctic sailing voyages, Spitsbergen
Experience sailing in the fjords
Arctic icebreaker cruise, Spitsbergen
Wildlife-focused, expert-led small ship Arctic cruises
Spitsbergen wildlife cruises
Encounters with glaciers, polar bears and icebergs.
Spitsbergen short break
Boat safari and wilderness experiences at Spitsbergen
Lofoten Islands and Svalbard northern lights safari
Take in the Arctic beauty on this exhilarating adventure
Spitsbergen to Franz Josefland cruise
bowhead whales polar bears walrus birdlife & kayaking
Spitsbergen Arctic Cruise
An exciting wildlife cruise around the Svalbard archipelago
Arctic cruise adventure holiday
Sail from Spitsbergen to Greenland on an arctic adventure
Spitsbergen activity holiday
Blue ice glacier walk, kayaking, hiking at Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen polar bear watching cruise
Venture into the staggering realm of the King of the Arctic
Luxury Arctic cruise Spitsbergen & Franz Josef Land
A unique expedition to rarely visited Franz Josef Land
Arctic expedition cruise, circumnavigation of Spitsbergen
Discover incredible wildlife and glaciers on this Arctic Voyage
Spitsbergen summer holiday, glaciers of Isfjorden
Arctic summer holiday - the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard
Spitsbergen luxury cruises
Experience this Arctic wildlife paradise in ultimate luxury!
Spitsbergen cruise, 6 days
A 6 day 'taster voyage' to explore Spitsbergen's highlights
Svalbard and Northern Lights holiday
Northern lights activities included hotel at Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen sailing holiday
Expedition sailing & exploring in wild, remote Spitsbergen.
Wildlife & environment in Spitsbergen
The frenzy of floating hotels
"Can you imagine? 2,000 people live there and when the cruise liners arrive in summer, over 7,000 people can disembark, wandering around the otherwise quiet streets.” – Lyn Hill, Finance and office manager at Responsible Travel. Read more about her wonderful land based trip to Spitsbergen in a full interview here.Some people don’t realise that there are alternatives to the giant cruise liners with thousands of passengers that arrive en masse in Spitsbergen for the Midnight Sun. However, we can assure you that there are plenty of smaller ships out there. That said, you don’t get tiny boats sailing or cruising these waters as they need to be equipped to deal with extreme conditions and icy waters. Our responsible tour operators have vessels which sleep 50-200 passengers and adhere to strict environmental and conservation policies. Friends of the Earth carried out research on leading cruise line companies regarding their environmental impacts, and it makes for fairly grim reading. It is also important to note that cruise companies should be working with and following guidelines laid down by the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) around Svalbard, so try asking that question to the big players.
But Svalbard is taking important steps to ensure its Arctic waters remain as undisturbed as possible. In 2015 there was a ban on heavy duty fuel oil in Ny-Ålesund and Magdalenefjorden Spitsbergen, meaning that the giant cruise ships which use this fuel have to adhere to very strict routes. According to Responsible Travel’s founder, Justin Francis: "Spitsbergen is one of the most protected and regulated places I've ever seen. Thankfully cruise ships are banned from large parts of the islands. I wish anything like it was true in the rest of the world. Plus, there are only two land areas where tourism is permitted – Area 10. It is a very small part of the archipelago."
Apart from opting for a responsible, small cruise ship holiday in Spitsbergen, support the vital work of Friends of the Earth. No organisation has researched the impact of giant cruise ships in the way that FOE has done, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Pun intended. Also, if you don’t like the impacts of giant cruise ships on Spitsbergen, share your photos and stories via social media. Svalbard Tourism (@visitsvalbard) might start to listen when the visitors start saying no. It is promoted as a sustainable destination, with the hashtag #sustainablelongyearbyen. At Responsible Travel, we don’t see giant cruise liners as very sustainable at all.
Human impacts
Leave No Trace should go without saying in Spitsbergen. However, sometimes in wilderness areas, particularly when they are snow covered, it is easy to overlook your impact. When you travel with a responsible holiday company, they will ensure that your impact is minimal, but it is very important to listen to all the instructions. Snowmobile transport is vital, although environmentally dog sleds may be better. However, snowmobiles aren’t simply used for leisure purposes here, but as vital means of transport. It is important not to drop any litter, even the core of an apple or a banana skin. Although good luck storing a banana in your backpack – it will be frozen within minutes. Basically, all traces of human activity should be removed, be it bonfires or toilets. Strict wildlife watching guidelines must also be adhered to, with stringent rules issued by the Governor of Svalbard, but also the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO).Take everything away with you, bring little or nothing in the way of packaging and make sure your tour operator adheres to the same principles. Don’t pick any wildflowers or move stones. And that includes building arty cairns or, of course, engraving stones.
People & culture in Spitsbergen
There are also specific rules about protecting cultural heritage in Spitsbergen. Interestingly, everything that dates to before 1946 is protected, even if it is an old bottle on the shore, a rusty nail or an old fishing rod. There are also certain traditions such as hunting that upset visitors, but it is important to read up on the history before you go to gain a greater understanding. At Responsible Travel, we don’t support tourists eating whale meat, for example, but we understand that for now it is part of life for local people and that changes don’t happen overnight.