CRUICE NORTH 2015
11
DESTINATION:
PORT OF LONGYEABYEN
Contact: Ronny Brunvoll,
No. of calls/passengers 2014 /
(Est. 2015): 41 (26) / 38,200 (27,000)
Shorex:
An organised tour to the new
visitors’ centre at Mine 3, a coal mine
which was closed down in 1996, is highly
recommended. A visit here enables you
to feel a sense of the tough work in the
pitch black mines through storytelling as
well physically exploring the mine. Mine 3
is located 2.5 km from the port. It’s worth
stopping en route at the Global seed vault,
where ‘spare copies’ of seeds from around
the world are kept as a backup to the
national gene banks. After visiting Mine 3,
it’s worth heading to Longyearbyen, where
brewery visits, museums, shopping and
café visits can add an extra dimension to
the High Arctic experience.
USP:
Svalbard is in the High Arctic and
offers truly unique experiences through
nature and wildlife you won’t find anywhere
else so far north. Everything you visit here
is the “world’s northernmost”, from the
kindergarten to the brewery!
Successful visit:
Longyearbyen is a small
settlement that offers big experiences.
In order to have a successful visit it’s
important to become acquainted with
the local history as well as the special
challenges that prevail, like the danger
of polar bears. The King of the Arctic
slinks around in the terrain so you should
always have an armed guided when you
venture outside the built up area. Book an
organised excursion in advance.
Improvements:
There are plans for a
new and substantially larger port in
Longyearbyen which, when completed,
will provide far better facilities at the port
and on land. Moreover, we are working
to develop Isfjorden as a destination
for “slow cruising”, where among other
things we will put in place recommended
itineraries, developed landing sites, infor-
mation and provisions for guiding.
DESTINATION:
CRUISE DESTINATION
NORTH CAPE
(HONNINGSVÅG)
Contact: Åse Lill Barstad
No. of calls/passengers 2014 /
(Est. 2015): 104 (97) / 121,800
(116,600)
Shorex:
I would have taken the tour
“Hornvika – the North Cape Classic”,
a new shore excursion where you
experience the North Cape in the classical
way. You ascend the top of Europe like
adventurers and royalty did before the
road was opened in 1956. This tour offers
nature-based experiences, storytelling
and tasting of local ingredients.
USP:
Our Unique Selling Point is of course
the North Cape located at the top of
Europe. In addition we have Northern
Europe’s largest bird cliff, and going on
a safari there is a wonderful experience.
It is home to millions of birds and each
colony has its own story. Our proximity to
the sea provides the basis for memorable
adventures like fishing trips and king crab
safaris. Last, but by no means least, we
have a rich cultural life. North Cape Café
Theatre conveys the story of why we live
at 71 °N.
Successful visit:
Putting quality before
quantity is incredibly important for us.
Our guests should travel home with a rich
array of impressions and tell their family
and friends about the great experiences
they had. After visiting our port, they
should leave with great memories and a
desire to return to our region.
Improvements:
The providers at North
Cape have agreed to cooperate to achieve
a common goal: the focus is on the
customer and their experiences. The aim
of this initiative, which is rooted in the
tourism industry’s own master plan, is
to create a better development culture
at North Cape so we can create more
Photo: Erik Joachimsen / CNNS
