Can Expedition Tourism Be Good for the Polar Regions?
Updated: Oct 7
It Is More Than a Hybrid Motor
Responsible travel starts with a fairly simple idea. When we are somewhere we do not call home, we need to treat that place with respect.
Having lived in eight different countries, I have seen how difficult it is to become part of a place if you do not try to understand how it works. The same applies to travel. We cannot arrive in the Arctic, take what we want from the experience and leave signs of our presence behind.
This is where I see a difference between tourism that simply looks and travel that engages. Our clients are travelers. We want them to understand where they are, what they are seeing and how their presence affects the region.
One of our guides, Ahmed, explains this idea particularly well when he talks about experiencing Marrakech through local knowledge. His perspective is useful far beyond Morocco. Read Ahmed's perspective on local guiding
Look Behind the Sustainability Claims
An expedition operator can talk about sustainability for pages in a brochure. I want to know what actually happens.
How does the company handle waste? What does it do about fuel and emissions? How are wildlife encounters managed? What happens when a ship visits a protected area, historic site or scientific station? How does it work with local communities?
In the Arctic, AECO's visitor guidelines are very specific. Visitors are asked to leave no lasting signs, avoid disturbing wildlife, leave cultural remains alone and respect local people and privacy. Its community guidelines have also been developed with local stakeholders in communities across Greenland, Canada, Svalbard, Iceland and Norway.
That is the level at which I want to look at responsibility. Who owns the company? What partnerships does it have? Which guidelines does it actually follow? Is there genuine scientific work behind the claims?
Research partnerships, long-term monitoring, citizen science and scientists travelling aboard an expedition can all tell us more than a sustainability slogan. We believe that in this modern age, it is important to only work with vendors who have the same values as we do and that is why we research with whom we work. Cruise-lines that work National Geographic, like Lindbladt, or Ponant with Smithsonian and the Explorers Club add this special value that makes us choose them over other lines that do not offer such in depth and conscious experiences.
Why the Tourism Rules Matter
Some of the rules can seem excessive until you understand what they are protecting.
In Antarctica, for example, IAATO guidance limits the number of passengers ashore from a vessel to 100 at one time, requires a 1:20 guide-to-passenger ratio for landings and prohibits vessels carrying more than 500 passengers from making landings. Site-specific rules can be stricter.
Wildlife observation follows the same principle. We should see animals without disturbing them. IAATO's visitor guidance requires visitors to maintain appropriate distances, while AECO's Arctic guidance uses the broader principle of avoiding disturbance rather than simply approaching until an animal reacts.
These rules protect the environment, but they also protect travelers. Polar conditions can change quickly, wildlife can be unpredictable and remote regions have limited infrastructure. The responsibility works in both directions. In Svalbard it is not allowed to leave the town without a guide, this seems excessive but wildlife can be so unpredictable that government laws and protection are needed.
Your Boots Are Part of the Story
Biosecurity is one of the clearest examples of how small actions matter.
Seeds, soil and microorganisms can travel on boots, clothing, bags and equipment. In the Arctic, AECO's current guidance asks travelers to clean pockets, seams, Velcro and footwear before departure and to follow cleaning procedures between different Arctic regions and landing sites.
Antarctica has similar procedures. IAATO asks travelers to clean and disinfect equipment before and after landings, with particular attention to boots, clothing, bags and other equipment that could carry non-native species. The concern is not only bringing something into Antarctica. It is also preventing material from being carried from one landing site to another. That is why the boot-washing station matters. It can look like a small inconvenience until you understand what it is doing.
For us, responsible expedition travel also means looking at the communities involved. Does the community actually want visitors? Who benefits? Are local businesses and guides being used? Is local culture being presented accurately?
Tourism can support local economies and help sustain traditions when communities choose to engage with it. The same principle applies to nature. Travelers can observe, participate in established visitor-science programmes and return home with a better understanding of what is changing in the polar regions.
What We Look For
We do not want to know only what an operator says. We want to see what it does.
When we evaluate an expedition, we look at its environmental policies, partnerships, scientific involvement, treatment of communities and the seriousness with which it follows polar guidelines. The technology matters. A hybrid motor can matter. But the wider operation tells us much more.
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Responsible Travel Starts Before You Board
Choosing an expedition responsibly means asking questions before the booking is made. What does the operator actually do? Who benefits from the journey? How are wildlife and communities treated? What happens between landings?
These questions do not make a polar journey less exciting. They give the journey context, and they help us travel through places we do not own without treating them as if we do.
Interested in exploring remote regions with the preparation and knowledge to understand them more deeply? Discover our approach to Expedition Travel.
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