About Visit Svalbard

The tourism industry in Longyearbyen is organised under the association Svalbard Reiselivsråd, which as of September 2024 has 72 member businesses. The destination management organisation (DMO) Visit Svalbard AS is fully owned by Svalbard Reiselivsråd and is governed by its member businesses through general meetings and shared planning frameworks. Among the most important planning and management tools are the Destination Svalbard Master Plan towards 2030.

The vision of the organised tourism sector:
Svalbard shall be the leading high-Arctic destination and an inspiration for sustainable destination development and management.

The overall goal for the organised tourism sector:
Svalbard shall achieve an optimal balance at the destination by ensuring "the right volumes of the right guests in the right place at the right time" (4R). The destination will prioritise the markets and segments that consistently contribute the highest local value creation with the lowest footprint (high yield, low impact).

Purpose and tasks of Visit Svalbard AS:
Visit Svalbard performs a wide range of tasks for the member businesses of Svalbard Reiselivsråd, related to sustainable development, marketing and communication, tourist information, and government and community relations. We are owned and largely funded by these businesses, which are primarily land-based tourism operators based in Longyearbyen. Some are also seasonal businesses based on the mainland. Although land-based tourism is the main focus of the destination company DMO, we also work closely with the cruise segments (conventional and expedition) through the Svalbard Cruise Forum.

We also provide services to Norwegian authorities, both locally and nationally. The dialogue and cooperation with Longyearbyen local government and the Governor of Svalbard are important to ensure that tourism is well aligned with broader community development, and to ensure that the industry contributes positively to the local community. At the national level, represented by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, we provide various services, including the operation of the year-round tourist information centre, gathering statistics and insights, and with an overall focus on the responsible and sustainable development of tourism to Longyearbyen and Svalbard.

As of September 2024, Visit Svalbard AS has approximately 10 full-time employees, of which 7 are permanent administrative staff, 1 project position, and a total of approximately 2 full-time employees in various part-time positions at the tourist information centre.