Travel
Eye on the Arctic
Overnight stays by Japanese tourists in Lapland (Arctic Finland) have declined every month since the end of last year, according to Statistics Finland figures.
Norway aims at being in the forefront in Europe of providing shore electricity to cut emission, but that might be a challenge at ports in the high north where power line capacity is limited.
Luxury cruise ship will next summer sail from Nome to Tromsø via the Northern Sea Route and then to Newfoundland via Greenland. In 2020, the idea is to circumnavigate the entire Arctic.
The perfect land of the north first referred to by Greek historian Herodotus finds a home in the Kola Peninsula.
Nobody wanted to buy tickets on what was supposed to be the first direct flight from Murmansk.
At least six vessels to get new gas-powered engines supported by batteries. Environmentalists call for other Arctic cruise-liner to follow.
28 new ships by 2022:
28 (and counting) new expedition ships capable of sailing Arctic waters are coming to the market over the next four years.
For visitors, the Russian town on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago combines the contrasts of pristine Arctic beauty and Soviet style industry. Nowadays, however, Barentsburg is reshaping its business-focus to become a modern Russian hub for explorer travellers.
Visitors from the People’s Republic pour in, but the Arctic region of Murmansk won’t benefit, says controversial Member of Parliament Vitaly Milonov.
Swedish government announces 7 billion kroner for building North Bothnia Line high-speed railway further north to Skellefteå.
“Brim Explorer” will sail the Lofoten archipelago during summer and whale watching from Tromsø during winter.
To be delivered in late 2020, the 200 passengers luxuriously ship will be built to Polar Class 6 standards.
Siste/ mest lest
05.10
72-hours visa-freedom and new multi-million cruise port are of little help. Murmansk gets only half the number of port calls this season compared with 2015.
Been there, seen that: 600 tourists pay up to $43,000 each to crush through the ice towards the top of the world before it melts away.
Flying to 41 regional airports in Norway, Widerøe har for before Second World War connected the remotest corners of Norway. In April, the airline gets its first jet.
Bigger plane with extra seats makes NextJet’s route between Oulu, Luleå and Tromsø more attractive.
A black info-box headlined “Nextjet files for bankruptcy” covers the booking-page of the Swedish airline that for the last few years has operated the route from Oulu via Luleå to Tromsø.
Airport operator Finavia is launching a major investment programme in northern Finland. It aims to raise the number of passengers using airports in Lapland and nearby Kuusamo to two million annually by 2030. That’s up from the 1.3 million people who passed through the region’s airports.
Nordavia launches the first direct flight between the Russian north and the Norwegian capital.
Starting in Norway, the voyages to Franz Josef Land have to make port calls in Murmansk both in and out of Russian waters.
With tens of small airports and many short-haul flights, northern Norway is ideal for introduction of electric passenger aircrafts.
Northern Russia could again be connected with Norway as Nordavia draws a new route map from Murmansk.
Cruise liner announces first purpose built luxury cruise vessel to put the top of the world on its itinerary.
The MSC «Preziosa» this week brought more that 3,500 tourists to Longyearbyen. It is the biggest ship ever in the Norwegian Arctic port.
Snow is more popular than ever. About 600 charter flights are landing at Finland’s three northernmost airports in the months ahead.
Plans for direct routes from Asia to Arctic Norway will be put on halt.
Lindblad Expeditions' new cruise vessel, to be built in Norway, gets very high ice class for access deep into polar regions.
Finland launches mobile app making your drive through Lapland much safer.
Rovaniemi, capital of Finnish Lapland, has just 60,000 permanent residents but attracts half a million visitors a year, with double-digit growth for a third year running – with most tourists arriving during the winter.
Regional carriers Nordavia and Red Wings join forces, become Russia’s 10th biggest air company.
Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo set new passengers record. And that is before the Santa Claus and skiing season starts.
The new route will connect northern Norway with Finnair’s Asian network.
From October, international charter traffic can only in exceptional cases land at Svalbard.
King Crab safari in Norway's northern waters is a fantastic tourist experience, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
Cruise ships will make 360 port calls to Northern Norway and Svalbard this season bringing in some 100,000 passengers.