Norway Bans Cruise Line Helicopters and Submarines in Arctic Tourism Crackdown

Norway’s Environment Agency has proposed new tourism rules on the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, to mitigate the environmental impact of adventure tourism at the destination. They include a ban on cruise lines offering helicopter and submarine rides and other activities that could potentially disturb the native wildlife will also be banned. In 2019, around 124,000 tourists visited Svalbard, as well as 73 cruise ships, and these numbers are expected to return post-pandemic. Only around 2,000 people live in the area. The proposed regulations would see tourists able to land at only 42 pre-selected locations, as well lower the limit on the number of cruise ships in the area.