Tourism has completely ground to a halt in Svalbard during the coronavirus pandemic. As the industry prepares for 2022 with new cruise ships, the government of the archipelago wants to protect nature and is partially putting a stop to the literally high-flying plans.
A cruise company offers helicopter tours over the archipelago and mini-submarine tours to gain insight into the marine life in the Arctic. But nothing comes of it, even if you pay the ticket, which is said to cost 13,300 euros for a twelve-day cruise.
When the company applied for rights for the excursions, the governor – the Norwegian government's highest representative on the archipelago and previously known as the governor – said no.
”"The governor will not approve submarines at Svalbard," reads the response read by the newspaper Barents Oberver. And in an interview with the newspaper, governor Lars Fause disappoints cruise enthusiasts even more:
– Sightseeing by air, including helicopters, will not be permitted within the archipelago's waters and over land.
In August, it was announced that cruise ships wishing to dock in Svalbard may have a maximum of 200 passengers, and they may only disembark at specifically designated locations.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, 124,000 tourists landed on Svalbard in 2019, a sharp increase from the 29,600 who arrived in 1996. Last year the figure was 1,786, but after the pandemic, tourism is believed to be picking up again.
Global warming is happening about twice as fast in the Arctic as in the rest of the world. And it is happening the fastest around Svalbard.
The Ministry of the Environment therefore wants to tighten the rules further, and has submitted proposals that would, among other things, mean that it would not be permitted to knowingly stay within 500 meters of a polar bear and that drones would be banned in several areas. Furthermore, motorized traffic on ice and water would be limited, in scope and speed.
– Today's rules are not adapted to the increased tourism that we have seen. When it increases again after the pandemic, it is important to ensure that the rules protect the increasingly threatened Arctic environment, says Ellen Hambro, head of the State Environmental Directorate, in a statement.
Source: TT-SvD
