Two-minute guide: Watching the Northern Lights responsibly

Perhaps it’s the lights themselves trying to tell us something, but green is the most common colour seen as the Aurora Borealis dances across northern skies. Fitting then that the responsibletravel.com 2 minute guide to Northern Lights Watching highlights some of the key responsible tourism issues tourists and tour operators should consider when booking a trip to this fragile and beguiling part of the world.

Travelling responsibly in the Arctic may seem like a huge undertaking, but by raising awareness of a few key issues, it is possible to still enjoy a break to see the Northern Lights while having a positive impact on communities and conservation.

Although the Northern Lights are an ancient phenomenon, the mass marketing of them to foreign tourists is still relatively new. As tours are becoming more popular and the Arctic regions more accessible it becomes vitally important that fragile ecosystems and traditional lands and cultures are protected and preserved. In Norway, rather than simply heading to Tromso, the country’s unofficial Northern Lights capital, tourists should look for tours which focus on places further afield. Not only will doors to incredible wilderness adventures be thrown wide open, but it will help relieve some of the congestion the small city is subject to as a result of the popularity of Aurora tours.

When researching a trip to any Arctic destination, travellers should look for tour operators with a commitment to responsible tourism and ask questions as to how their holiday will provide connections to local people and places. Do they use locally-owned accommodations with good environmental practises? Are tours to see the lights led by local guides? Are other activities promoting the preservation of local cultural heritage? A trip to see the Northern Lights will usually require a significant investment, and taking the time to research a responsible tour will not only help keep these places special, but will make for a much more engaging, memorable holiday experience.

Many Northern Lights trips will bring tourists into contact with the Sami, the indigenous, nomadic inhabitants of northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. As traditional ways of life are slowly eroded by the modern world, the Sami people are becoming more and more dependent on tourism as a vital source of income. For a chance to experience this unique way of life and to support local communities look for tours which incorporate elements of Sami cultural immersion. In Norway there are opportunities for homestays as well as locally-run traditional activities such as reindeer sleigh rides. Sami guides will know the best places for Northern Lights sightings, and will be able to tell fascinating stories about the lights, passed down from generation to generation.

A responsible Northern Lights watching trip, rooted in traditional communities and environments, will invariably involve a chance to sample local food. Delicious, locally grown and usually served with omnipresent berries, responsibletravel.com would always encourage travellers to find local restaurants and discover what makes Finnish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish taste buds tick. However, travellers should be aware that in Iceland and Norway, whale meat is still served on many menus. Bringing whale meat back into the UK is illegal under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and while legally available in Iceland and Norway tourists play a part in driving the demand. Responsibletravel.com recommends tourists do their bit to bring an end to the whaling industry by saying no to whale meat, and instead get their whale fix viewing them alive and well in the wild, and by supporting conservation initiatives.

For more information on how to travel responsibly to see the Northern Lights please visit responsibletravel.com’s 2 minute travel guide.