Program
Arctic Cruise Conference
Date
October 23, 2024
Venue Stortingsgata Kurs & Konferense, Stortingsgata 20, Oslo, Norway
08:30-09:00 Registration
09:00-09:10
09:10-09:40
09:40-10:25
OPENING
Opening Remarks
Frigg Jørgensen, AECO
Key-note: The future of Arctic expedition cruise tourism
Hervé Gastinel, Ponant
Panel: Facing the challenges of expedition cruise tourism in the Arctic
Hervé Gastinel, Ponant
Alana Bradley-Swan, Adventure Canada
Gebhard Rainer, Hurtigruten Expeditions
Adam Turner, Oceanwide
Marie Lannborn, PolarQuest
Moderator: Gyda Gudmundsdottir, AECO
10:25-10:45 COFFEE BREAK
GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW
10:45-11:05 Svalbard: Season update and perspectives of the Governor
Lars Fause, Governor of Svalbard
11:05-11:25
Iceland: 2030 Iceland Tourism Strategy and Action Plan
Sunna Þórðardóttir, Government of Iceland
11:25-11:45 Greenland: New tourism regulations in Greenland
Salik Hard, Government of Greenland
11:45-12:05
Canada: Nunavut tourism strategy
Christopher Gerlach, Government of Nunavut
12:05-13:00 LUNCH
13:00-13:10 AECO Area statistics
Anders La Cour Vahl, AECO
13:10-13:40
13:40-14:00
ENVIRONMENT
AECO’s Environment Pillar and Underwater noise
Aga Nowak, AECO & Joshua Jones, University of California SAFETY
AECO’s Safety Pillar and the Emergency Towing Project
Melissa Nacke, AECO & Ørjan Selvik, SINTEF Ocean
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
14:00-14:25 AECO’s Community Engagement Pillar and lessons from the field from Lindblad National Geographic Gyda Gudmundsdottir, AECO & Laura Macfarlane, Lindblad ExpeditionsNational Geographic
14:25-14:50 COFFEE BREAK KNOWLEDGE
14:50-15:00
Introduction to AECO’s Knowledge Pillar Frigg Jørgensen, AECO
15:00-15:15 AECO’s new Cruise Database Troels Jacobsen, AECO
15:15-15:35 Balancing Act
Dr. Grete K. Hovelsrud, Nordland Research Institute
15:35-15:45 AECO’s new website
Anne Øien, AECO
15:45-16:00 Closing Remarks
Karin Strand, EC Chair, AECO
18:30 Pre-dinner drinks - sponsored by Tirso
19:00 Dinner
Klosteret Restaurant Fredensborgveien 13, 0177 Oslo
Meet the speakers
Frigg Jørgensen
Executive Director AECO
Frigg Jørgensen has served as AECO’s Executive Director since 2006. She oversees the Secretariat and manages the organization’s daily operations. Her responsibilities include ensuring that AECO’s action plans are effectively implemented and aligned with the organization’s goals and strategies.
Hervé Gastinel Chief Executive Officer Ponant
Since 2021, Hervé Gastinel has focused on making Ponant a world leader in luxury exploration travel, while putting sustainable development at the heart of its strategy through initiatives like the Swap2Zero project, biofuel trials, and the Ponant Science program.
Lars Fause
Governor of Svalbard
Lars Fause has served as the Governor of Svalbard since June 2021. A lawyer by profession, Fause was previously a state prosecutor in Troms and Finnmark. He is the Norwegian government’s representative on the archipelago and has the role of both police chief and state administrator.
Salik Hard
Senior Advisor
Ministry of Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equality
Salik Hard leads the Greenland Government’s tourism strategies, legislation, business development and concessions and has more than 30 years of senior-level experience in various tourism companies and institutions in Greenland.
Sunna Thordardottir Senior
Advisor
Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs
Christopher Gerlach Manager Tourism Development Government of Nunavut
Sunna Thordardottir holds a B.S. and M.Sc. in Tourism Studies and over a decade of experience in tourism management and destination marketing. She is currently a working in the Icelandic Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs, involved in tourism policy, legislation and environmental projects.
Christopher Gerlach has devoted nearly 20 years to the tourism industry. His journey began in 2005, gaining valuable experience in luxury hotels across South America and onboard cruise ships in the UK. In 2016, he transitioned to a role with the Government of Nunavut.
Foto: Trygve Olsen, Justis- og beredskapsdepartementet
Anders La Cour Vahl
Deputy Director
AECO
Dr. Joshua Jones
University of California
Ørjan Selvik Senior
Adviser
SINTEF Ocean
Melissa Nacke
Head of Operations
AECO
Dr. Aga Nowak
Environmental Specialist
AECO
Gyda Gudmundsdottir
Head of Community Engagement
AECO
Anders la Cour Vahl is involved in AECO’s strategic planning, overall portfolio, and specific thematic areas. Previously, Anders worked as Chief Analyst for Air Greenland and Deputy Director at Visit Greenland, where he managed cruise development initiatives, including collaborations with AECO. Anders is based in Nuuk, Greenland.
Dr. Joshua Jones is an expert in acoustic observation of the ocean and directs an Arctic research program for the impacts of underwater noise on marine wildlife. He has worked with local and regional Inuit organizations, non-governmental Oceans North, and AECO, to develop a regional program for measurements from ships in the Eastern Canadian Arctic.
Ørjan Selvik specializes in experimental verification of ships and ocean structures, and has managed experimental and numerical projects in collaboration with Norwegian Coastal Administration and Coast Guard on emergency towing. His expertise includes competence needs, drifting path estimation, and workshop facilitation.
Melissa Nacke oversees field operations, environment, and maritime issues. She joined AECO in 2019 as environmental specialist, leading the Clean Seas project. With a background in Arctic shipping and marine conservation at WWF, Melissa holds a BSc in Marine Biology and Oceanography, and an MSc in Arctic Oceanography.
Aga Nowak is an interdisciplinary scientist with 15 years of research experience in the Arctic and Antarctica. With an MSc in Marine Chemistry and environmental protection and a PhD in Terrestrial Hydrology and Biogeochemistry of Polar Regions, her work focuses on the effects of climate change and pollution on polar ecosystems. Aga joined AECO in 2023.
Gyda Gudmundsottir develops frameworks and tools in AECO’s community engagement program. She has been involved with different aspects of cruise operations, from destination marketing to port agency and logistics in Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands Denmark and the Baltic. Before joining AECO, in 2022, she was General Manager at North Atlantic Agency.
Laura Macfarlane
Expedition Development Manager
Lindblad Expeditions
Troels Jacobsen
Field Operations Manager
AECO
Dr Grete K. Hovelsrud
Nordland Research Institute
Anne Øien Head of Communications
AECO
Karin Strand
VP of Expedition Development in Hurtigruten Expeditions/chair of AECO’s Executive Committee
Laura Macfarlane has been in the industry for over 15 years focused on creating guest experiences and designing expeditions in collaboration with the communities and locals visited throughout the Arctic and Northern Europe. She currently develops and manages all of the Lindblad-National Geographic itineraries from Svalbard to Alaska.
Troels Jacobsen has been a part of the Secretariat since 2020. He developes and maintaines AECO’s field operations tools, measures and procedures, and has recently lead the work with AECO’s new Cruise Database. He has more than 15 years’ of experience from the cruise industry, both as a guide and as expedition leader in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Grete is an Arctic anthropologist and as president of the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research and the International Arctic Social Sciences Association, she advocates for including social sciences and socio-economic perspectives in interdisciplinary research on Arctic climate change, society, and adaptive governance.
Anne Øien joined the Secretariat in 2022 and is responsible for AECO’s communications, including strategy, crisis communication, and day-to-day activities. She holds degrees in communications, International Emergency Preparedness, and Societal Security, focusing on Arctic cruise tourism.
Karin Strand has more than 20 years of experience in the expedition cruise industry in the Arctic and Antarctic, mostly as expedition leader and later operations manager. Fun facts about Karin: She is godmother for the vessel MS Roald Amundsen, and has visited Antarctica more than 140 times.
Meet the panelists
Panel: Operator panel: Facing the challenges of expedition cruise tourism in the Arctic Moderator: Gyda Gudmundsdottir, AECO
Alana Bradley-Swan CEO, Adventure Canada
Hervé Gastinel CEO, Ponant
Gebhard Rainer CEO, HX
Adam Turner CXO, Oceanwide
Marie Lannborn CEO, PolarQuest
Aaron Lawton Head of Expedition Operations Viking
Adam Turner CXO Oceanwide Expeditions
Aga Nowak Environmental Specialist AECO
Alana Bradley Swan Managing Director Adventure Canada
Alastair Newton Director of Expedition Operations HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Alexander Leeland COOP Svalbard SA
Allison Kean Development & Policy Senior Manager IAATO
Amanda Joynt Senior Policy Advisor Oceans North
Anders Krogstrup Senior Bunker Trader Bunker One/ Unioil Supply A/S
Anders la Cour Vahl Deputy Director AECO
André Skrivervik Director Admin & HR AECO
Anette Lings CEO Backcountry Greenland Hotel Sisimiut & Tours
Angelica Vorea CEO Poseidon Expeditions
Aniek Augustijn Online markting and media Waterproof Expeditions
Anika Paust Hurtigruten Svalbard
Anja Magnussen Vágar Seaports
Ann Marie Cunanan Managing Director Meaningful Travels Greenland
Anne Øien Head of Communications AECO
Annika Rautiola Expedition Compliance Manager Ponant
Arne Kertelhein Expedition Leader Hapag-Lloyd-Cruises
Arne Lyberth Petersen Sales Manager Royal Greenland
Axel Moracchini Exploration Director Ponant
Banovsha Ibragimova Key Account Manager NAA/ Gara
Barbara Hofmann Product Manager Expedition Cruises Hapag-Lloyd-Cruises
Bozidar Despenic Director of Cruise Operations DMC Nordic Group
Bruno Joubert Ponant
Bryndis í Dali Vágar Seaports
Catherine Lawton Director Product Development Quark Expeditions
Cecilia Henningsen Business Developer Harstad Havn KF
Céline Blanchard Aventure Maritime
Christian Schneider Managing Director MCCM Master Cruises AG
Christine Rosland Elseth Project Manager High North Development Group
Christopher Gerlach Manager, Tourism Development Government of Nunavut
Claus Andersen Director, Fleet Operations HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Darryl Bushaway
Senior Vice President, Product & Operations Quark Expeditions
Daven Hafey Field Operations Manager Lindblad Expeditions
Einar Sveinn Ólafsson CEO Snæfellsnes Adventure ehf
Erik Mathisen Marine Supply AS
Espen Haakenstad Country manager Norway Royal Greenland Norway
Eva Britt Kornfeldt Cruise Manager Svalbard Cruise Forum / Visit Svalbard
Eva Hjaltalín Ingólfsdóttir Account manager Iceland Travel
Frigg Jørgensen Executive Director AECO
Gebhard Rainer CEO HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Gerth P. Olsen Managing Director Destination Diskobay A/S
Gorm Diernisse General Manager North Atlantic Agency
Grete K. Hovelsrud Professor Nordland Research Institute
Gyða Guðmundsdóttir Head of Community Engagement AECO
Gylfi Fleckinger Örvarsson CEO Marmiðlun (Fleckinger ehf.)
Hallur Biskopstø NAA/ Faroe Ship
Hans Lind Dollerup A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd.
Heidi Thom Board of Directors DMC Nordic Group
Hervé Gastinel CEO Ponant
Hildur Karen Ragnarsdóttir Expedition manager
Hugo Hinrichsen
Iceland Travel
Positive Polar
Hugues Lamy Director Port Operations Swan Hellenic
Hulda Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Cruise Iceland / Atlantik
Ingi Þór Guðmundsson CEO Nonni Travel
Íris Hrund Jóhannsdóttir Operations Manager NAA/ Gara
Isabel Kristensen Marine Supply AS
Isabelle Johansen Director of marketing and communication Visit Svalbard
Isabelle Vareille EVP Cruise Operations Exploris
Iver Fastvold Operations Manager Pole Position Logistics
Ivik Knudsen-Ostermann Greenland Cruises
Jane Wilson Operations Manager Swan Hellenic
Janeen Haase Director of Governance & Finance IAATO
Janina Graf Albatros Expeditions
Jarle Rasmussen Vestland Marine
Jocelyn Catt Natural World Safaris
Johann Björn Johannsson Project manager
Cruise Iceland / Faxafloahafnir
Johann Bogason Managing Director NAA/ Gara
Johanna Vakkila PolarQuest
John Poulsen Jensen Naleraq Sea Safari ApS
Jonneke van Eijsden Director/owner Beluga Expeditions & Adventures BV
Joshua Jones
University of California San Diego
June Thompson University of California San Diego
Justus Hansen Consultant Visit East Greenland
Jørn Henriksen Director Expedition Operations Viking
Karin Berntsson Lundgren Operations Manager Salén Ship Management
Karin Strand VP Expedition Development HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Karoline Handberg Abildskov CEO Vela Nordic
Kate Smith Vice President NAA/ F. K. Warren Ltd.
Kjetil Bråten Port Director Port of Longyearbyen
Kristine Jornadal Founder & Partner Meaningful Ventures Greenland APS
Kaare Winther Hansen Chefkonsulent Municipality of Sermersooq
Kaassannguaq Zeeb Foodservice Key Account Manager Royal Greenland
Lars Vajse Country Manager Blue Water Greenland
Laura Berny Les Echos
Laura Macfarlane Expedition Development Manager Lindblad Expeditions
Leif Skog VP Nautical Lindblad Expeditions
Lena-Marie Krause Junior Port Operations Manager Hapag-Lloyd-Cruises
Linda Kleist Head of Destination Development & Cruise Visit Greenland
Linn Giske Friedl Sales Manager Cruise Destinasjon Ålesund & Sunnmøre
Lone Helle Managing Director Visit Tromsø
M. Florencia Becherini Office Manager AECO
Mads-Daniel Skifte Head of Business Municipality of Sermersooq
Marco Coppola Vestland Marine
Marco Sparacino CEO Tirso
Marie Lannborn Managing Director PolarQuest
Marie-Lou Poisson Product Manager Adventure Canada
Marlynda Elstgeest CEO Waterproof Expeditions
Martin Haugen Senior Business Manager Bunker One
Martin Karlsen Consultant Vestland Marine
Mathias Henriksen A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd.
Mathias Janot Perseverance
Melissa Nacke Head of Operations AECO
Mia Biilmann Larsen CEO, Owner, Pilot AirZafari Greenland ApS
Michaela Sauer Manager Destination Experiences Expedition Silversea Cruises
Monica Berstad Cruise Norway
Maarten van der Duijn Schouten Vessel Manager Cape Race Corporation
Nathalie Braber Manager Shipping Pole Position Logistics
Navarana Bidstrup Destination Manager Destination Diskobay
Niels Røine CEO High North Development Group
Orly Orlyson Port of Husavik
Patrick Shaw COO, North America Polar Latitudes
Peer Brandenborg CEO DanPilot Greenland
Peter Garapick Director, External Relations Quark Expeditions
Petter Christian Bakke Senior Bunker Trader Glander International Bunkering Norway AS Ramon Lucas Sales/ Marketing Beluga Expeditions & Adventures BV
Rikhart Olsen Ingerø Port of Longyearbyen
Roar Holstad Project Manager DRYLANDER DRYLANDER co/HOLSTAD group
Ronny Strømnes CEO COOP Svalbard SA
Ruth Absalonsen Manager Eysturkommuna
Salik Hard Senior Advisor Government of Greenland
Sam Pickering RAD Propulsion Ltd
Sampo Viherialehto Sales Manager ABB Oy Marine
Samuel Gagnon
Expeditions Operations Manager Swan Hellenic
Sarah Scriver Head of Expeditions 66° Expeditions
Sarah Woodall Destination Manager Visit South Greenland
Scott Will VP Operations Anglo-Eastern Cruise Management
Sebastian Charge Operations Manager Adventure Canada
Shaun Powell Director of Expedition Operations Seabourn
Sheila Flaherty Sijjakkut - Authentic Inuit Foods
Signe Maria Brunk Secret Atlas
Sigurdur J Olafsson Chairman Cruise Iceland / Faxafloahafnir
Skúli Halldórsson Account manager Iceland Travel
Steffan Danino Product Supervisor Albatros Expeditions
Steve Jones Director of Fundraising & Operations ORCA
Steve Wellmeier Director of Special Projects Poseidon Expeditions
Sunna Thordardottir Senior Adviser Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs
Terje Gabrielsen IT Mananger AECO
Terje Jørgensen Port Manager Kirkenes Havn
Thomas Hoey CEO & President DMC Nordic Group
Þuríður Aradóttir Braun Manager Visit Reykjanes Iceland
Timo Kaden Senior Shore Operations Manager Hapag-Lloyd-Cruises
Tobias Dalgård Vester A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd.
Tobias Schwalbach Port Agent Pole Position Logistics
Tomas Holik VP Operations Aurora Expeditions
Tona Lorentsen Communications Specialist AECO
Tore Magne Hoem Director Adventures Hurtigruten Svalbard
Tor-Jarle B Kolsrud Operation manager expedition cruise Hurtigruten Svalbard
Trevor Wright Government of Nunavut
Trine Krystad Head of Government Affairs AECO
Trine Mogensen Tourism consultant Municipality of Sermersooq
Troels Jacobsen Field Operations Manager AECO
Tróndur Jóannesarson á Høvdanum NAA/ Faroe Ship
Tudor Morgan VP Sustainability, Guest Learning and Industry ReHX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Unnur Elva Arnardóttir Director of Services NAA/Skeljungur
Valdís Eyjólfsdóttir Akraneskaupstaður
William Bennett Senior Director, Marine Operations Quark Expeditions
Yaroslava Skorikova Secret Atlas
Zsanett Barbara Nagy Sales and operations Nonni Travel
Ørjan Selvik Senior Adviser SINTEF Ocean
Øyvind Normann CLIA Norway