Is green tourism possible in Svalbard?

Norway's Arctic archipelago, Svalbard, is facing a dilemma. It's stuck between the threat of climate change and making a profit from its pristine natural beauty. The archipelago lies 1,300 kilometres from the North Pole and its northern lights, midnight sun and polar bears draw commercial flights packed with tourists year round. However, with global warming affecting the Arctic at a greater rate than the rest of the planet, the islands are extremely vulnerable.

Despite the tourism sector ramping up sustainability efforts, travel remains a major sore point for the region as Visit Svalbard's director Ronny Brunvoll points out.

Ronny Brunvoll: "The really big problem is, is the transport to and from Svalbard. Both in tourism but also us as locals that live here. We have a climate footprint per capita in Longyearbyen that is insane."

Ultra polluting heavy fuel frequently used by large cruise ships was banned at the beginning of 2022 and some tour operators are going even further to mitigate their impact on this icy wilderness, including Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten. Tore Hoem’s their director.

Tore Hoem: "Well, we try to, to be as, as sustainable as technology allows us and this is for us a big step forward in that direction. And we hope to sort of make a difference and help technology go forward."

Svalbard’s population swelled with the establishment of coal mines and while most have now closed, the area remains dependent on coal powered electricity. With tourism now the archipelago's biggest revenue stream, tensions between preserving its striking beauty and catering to 140,000 visitors each year poses a dilemma. Børre Haugli’s the editor of a local newspaper.

Børre Haugli: "The tourist industry themself in Svalbard want to have sustainable industry and they develop themself into more sustainable activities. But I think we are on the limit of, of how many tourists we can cope with." View Less