What's new

News from Visit Svalbard

• Longyearbyen was re-labelled as a sustainable destination in 2022!
  Visit Svalbard is proud to have Longyearbyen labelled as a Sustainable Destination. The label scheme, which is owned by Innovation Norway, has been an important tool for the destination company Visit Svalbard, the local companies and the wider destination in working seriously towards sustainability and improving sustainability in the local tourism industry – day by day and year by year. Having this prestigious label does not necessarily mean that we are sustainable, but it commits us to focus on sustainability.
  Visit Svalbard held the label from 2016 to 2019. Achieving this label is a demanding job that requires resources in terms of both labour and funding. The same goes for the re-labelling process, which we had planned to implement in 2019. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the funding required to implement this before the deadline for re-labelling had passed. This was further compounded by Covid-19, which created further challenges. Consequently, as of 2020, we were no longer part of the label scheme.
  However, with new grants and a reinforced team in 2021, we were able to initiate the re-labelling process. Visit Svalbard and Longyearbyen were re-labelled as a Sustainable Destination in 2022, meaning we are once again part of the important cooperation towards sustainability that the label represents. 
  Focusing on sustainability is focusing on the future and, in the recovery of our destination following the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the re-labelling will play a key role in putting sustainability on the agenda as we seek to resume the positive development that Svalbard’s tourism industry experienced before the onset of Covid-19.
  
  Read more about our work with sustainability at our destination here.

Activity providers and activities

New activity providers: 

• PolarX is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  They are a specialised Film & TV production services company based in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, operating across the entire frozen planet, both the Arctic and Antarctic. With over three decades experience in the planet’s most challenging and beautiful landscapes. They can offer productions services on all scales from natural history documentaries to feature films. Facilitating crews on remote locations working in extreme conditions. Full location services ranging from logistics, equipment, pre-production consultation, advice on scripts, permitting, and detailed budgeting.
  Read more about PolarX here.

• Polar Cruising Spitsbergen is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  They are a small 100% "Norwegian"-owned shipping company based in Vesterålen and Svalbard.
  They travel with their fast boat Wegar Viking in small groups to give their guests an exclusive touch. Having small groups is an important element for them. Their guests should feel safe, welcome, and looked after. These are important elements for their company and tour arrangements so that guests want to return to Svalbard again in the future.
  Read more about Polar Cruising Spitsbergen here.

New activity offers:

• Backyard Svalbard will start offering full-day glacier hikes combined with RIB-transport to Borebukta from the summer of 2022. Read more here.

• Hurtigruten Svalbard will offer a range of new boat trips starting from the summer of 2022.
  With their new hybrid vessel MS Kvitbjørn they will offer the following activities: 
  Explore Isfjorden with Kvitbjørn
  Walrus safari to Borebukta
  Visit in Ny-Ålesund with the hybrid boat Kvitbjørn
  
  They will also offer two new trips with RIB boats:
  Ice Fjord safari a taste of Svalbard

• Discover Svalbard offers a new overnight trip in the vicinity of Longyearbyen with an overnight stay in a cabin by a dog yard. Read more here.

• Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen launched a 4-day program for autumn vacations in Svalbard including accommodation and activities. Read more here.
  They have also started offering 2-day overnight trips by dog sled with a stay at an expedition cabin. Read more here.

• Poli Arctici can now offer guided tours of the North Pole Expedition Museum in Longyearbyen. Read more here.

• The floating sauna SvalBad in Longyearbyens port have extended their opening hours and are now available for private groups all weekdays. Read more here.

Accommodation

• Coal Miners’ Cabins in Longyearbyen re-opens in June 2022 after having been closed during the Covid-19 situation. They will be open for the summer season of 2022 until the end of August. Read more about Coal Miners' Cabins here.

Food and drink

• Stationen is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  Their menu is based on traditional Norwegian food, and there is always a whale dish or two on the menu! The name "Stationen" was taken from an important part of the archipelago's history, the whale hunting period from the early 17th- to the late 18th-century. All eyes in Europe were on Svalbard and the values marine mammals could offer then. Whale hunting stations were established in large parts of Svalbard, and that's from where they've taken the name Stationen. Read more here.

On visitsvalbard.com

• On visitsvalbard.com there's a regularly updated info page for travellers to Svalbard with relevant info about the Covid-19 situation locally and any measures or travel restrictions that travellers should be aware of. One can find the page via the red banner on the frontpage of visitsvalbard.com, or by clicking here. 

• There's now a brand new overview of local rental services in Svalbard on our websites! Check out the overview yourself here. 

• We’ve now made it easier for you to find the local activity providers that can offer the experiences you’re interested in! On our overview page for local activity providers in Svalbard you’ll now be able to select activity categories to find local companies that can offer the activities you’re looking for.