The Svalbard Tourism Council, the owner of Visit Svalbard, will decide on 12 October whether to cut cooperation with the Russian state-owned tourism company Arctic Tourism Center Grumant in Svalbard, which is a member of the council. – The nature of the war and what the Russian state is doing and the abuses against human rights in Ukraine are what make us take this step now, says chairman of Visit Svalbard, Ronny Strømnes. Strømnes explains that it is the state-owned Russian coal company Trust Arcticcugol that runs the Russian tourism company in Svalbard. – It is state-owned companies that our recommendation applies to, not doing business with Russian state-owned companies. In practice, an exclusion would mean that Russian tourism would lose the right to be visible on Visit Svalbard’s website, among other things. Already in March, Visit Svalbard urged tourism companies in Longyearbyen not to buy services from the Russian-owned company. Strømnes then told news that they want to mark their opposition to the Russian state and regime. Chairman of Visit Svalbard, Ronny Strømnes, explains that the war in Ukraine has now led to consideration of excluding Russian tourism in Svalbard. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen Wants to increase tourism The Russian state-owned tourism company reacts strongly to the fact that the Svalbard Tourist Board is considering not cooperating with the Russians. In an open letter to the tourism council, Tatiana Ageeva, the head of the Arctic Tourism Center Grumant which belongs to the Trust Arcticcugol, strongly opposes the possible exclusion. Ageeva points out that Norway and Russia have cooperated on Svalbard for over 100 years. Arctic Tourism Center Grumant is a member of the Svalbard Tourism Council. – But despite all tensions in all times, communities have been formed and united into a whole family, says Ageeva. She believes that people on Spitsbergen should cooperate, and has faith that everything will be fine in the end. – We will continue our cooperation with the Norwegian tourism industry. Despite a possible exclusion, Russian tourism wants to continue with tourism and also try to increase the number of tourists to Barentsburg and Pyramiden. Russia will spend 300 million to equip settlements and tourism on the archipelago. – Some will say that there is a war going on in Europe, and that this must have consequences for Russians living outside Russia. What is your comment on that? – I have no comment on this, she says. Tatiana Ageeva hopes to increase tourism to Barentsburg, regardless of the decision of the Svalbard Tourism Council. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news – Should have thought about it Editor of High North News and former editor of Svalbardposten, Arne O. Holm, expects that the collaboration between Visit Svalbard and Russian tourism on the archipelago will be broken. – Basically, it seems like a very natural decision, all the while Western sanctions are about breaking cooperation with state-owned Russian institutions and companies. Nevertheless, Holm thinks it is sad that this could be the result, since Svalbard has been a place where East and West have been able to maintain dialogue, even during the Cold War. – Then it is also a shame, because large parts of Barentsburg are populated by Ukrainians. They are the real victims of this war. This is the price for the war Russia has started in Ukraine. Arne O. Holm expects that Russian tourism will be excluded, as a result of the Western sanctions against Russia. Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news Chairman Ronny Strømnes of the Svalbard Tourism Council is certain that such an exclusion will be devastating for future cooperation in Svalbard. – Maybe Russia should have thought of that, when they go in and violate human rights in Ukraine. They put a lot of cooperation and agreements around the world at risk when they take the steps they have taken in Ukraine now, says Strømnes. Dagbladet writes on Tuesday evening that a board member of the Svalbard Tourism Council recently received anonymous threats after it became known that the tourism council is considering ending cooperation with the Russians. On Monday this week, the relationship was reported. – It is not possible to interpret the messages as anything other than threats, says chairman Stømnes to Dagbladet.no.
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Considering excluding Russian state-owned tourism company on Svalbard due to the war in Ukraine – news Troms and Finnmark
