Arctic Tourism Traffic Strategy —— Notes on Arctic Tourism

When it comes to the Arctic, what comes to mind first? Cold or polar bear, maybe both. Today, Bian Xiao will tell you the points for attention when traveling in Svalbard, Arctic. Interested friends can listen carefully.

visa

Svalbard is under the jurisdiction of Norway. However, tourists from China, as citizens of Svalbard Treaty, are free to enter the country and engage in legal production and business activities within the scope of observing Norwegian laws. But you still have to apply for a Schengen visa. There is no direct flight from China to Longyearbyen, so we have to start from Norway.

climate

Due to the warm current flowing through the Gulf of Mexico, the climate of Svalbard is much milder than that of Canada, Greenland and Alaska. We arrived in August, when it was extremely daylight, and the temperature was around 10 degrees. In winter, when the temperature in the same latitude in Canada is as low as MINUS 40-50 degrees, it is only MINUS 10-20 degrees, and it is still dry and cold.

traffic

The linear distance from Longyearbyen to the North Pole is only1333km. In addition to cruise ships, tourists can also fly directly to Longyearbyen from Oslo or Tromso, Norway. At present, both Nordic Airlines and norwegian air shuttle Airlines offer regular flights to Longyearbyen. The flight time from Tromso to Longyearbyen is less than two hours, and it takes about three hours from Oslo.

Pay special attention to

The population of Svalbard is about 2,500, but there are more than 3,500 polar bears. It is said that residents here meet more than a dozen hungry polar bears every year. According to local laws, anyone who goes out to explore the city must carry a rifle and know how to use it. This is why the explorer in the title picture is carrying a rifle.

Line recommendation

Our route surrounds Spitsbergen (the largest island in Svalbard).

Today, the face of most parts of Spitsbergen has not changed because of human visits. Several settlements on the island are blocked by towering peaks and perennial ice and snow, and there are no roads connected. It is difficult to connect these isolated towns without boats. Cruise ships sail along the winding coastline, stop at docks from time to time and visit the natural landscape and cultural heritage along the coast, which is the most pleasant way to visit Svalbard in summer.

The route around the island can experience almost everything we imagined in the Arctic: polar bears, large glaciers, blooming tundra and cool fjords, colorful cabins, lost Russian mining areas, cold scientific research stations and a group of crazy working scientists.

The route will also go to two inaccessible places: one is to cross 80 degrees north latitude to muffin island, and the other is to the east of Svalbard, which is more desolate than anywhere else on the island and has the characteristics of high latitude in the Arctic.

Tips:

All the voyages of polar cruise ships can only be used as reference. Considering the actual weather and hydrological conditions of the destination, the route and related activities may change. We are exploring!