Norway Svalbard Cruise Popularity Up

10 May 2013

Tourist numbers to Norway’s Arctic Ocean destination show a doubling in one year, latest industry figures show.

The Governor of Svalbard reports some 42,000 passengers visited the area during the 2012 season. 2011 saw about 24,000.

Snow scooter tourism figures for the period were stable, but dog sledding has also grown in popularity.

Many travel companies offer trips to the region on boats that are increasing in size. Norway’s Hurtigruten also travels there, and up to 34 overseas cruise ships have been there since 1997.

Guest night numbers in Longyearbyen rose from roughly 24,000 to about 85,000 in the 1993 to 2012 period after Svalbard was “opened” for tourism.

“People are accustomed to travelling far in order to experience the most, instead of just the standardised products. This is where Svalbard taps into the market regarding those who want to experience things that are a little different,” Ronny Brunvoll, Svalbard Reiseliv general manager tells NRK.

Things also turned out differently than expected for BBC filmmaker Jason Roberts on Svalbard last month, who faced a some 5,800 pound fine for allegedly disturbing the polar bears.

Source: http://theforeigner.no/pages/news/norway-svalbard-cruise-popularity-up/