The Arctic part of our planet is always attractive for its snowy desert, silent mystery and snow-white severity, which like a magnet attracts lovers of the unknown beauty of our planet. Until recent times, the Arctic remained out of our attention regarding of tourism in view of the difficult climatic conditions and the almost complete absence of any infrastructure.
However, a visit to this fairy tale becomes possible now thanks to technological progress, globalization, digitalization and acceleration of all processes of international interaction and communication.
Those territories that were previously considered economically useless and empty, today can be successfully used by the state as attractive areas for curious tourists and lovers of extreme relaxation.
This approach not only helps to increase interest in visiting exotic parts of the country, improving the economic component of the state, but also the development of tourism in poorly developed and remote areas stimulates their revitalization, demographic growth and improvement of infrastructure.
We offer you to immerse yourself in the journey of two interesting Arctic states - to Iceland and Canada, the views of which will not leave indifferent even the most sophisticated travelers!
Iceland
Today, Arctic tourism to Iceland is the most affordable and attractive from all 8 Arctic states. Just remember for a moment the scene from any film where the Arctic beauties are shown ... and this will be the very fabulous Iceland! Let's go over it together!
Most of Iceland’s land is located south to the Arctic Circle, and only the small island Grimsey is located partially inside the Arctic Circle. The landscape of the country is a mixture of barren fields, rich agricultural land and bright peaks.
A large amount of precipitation and, as a rule, warmer weather than in other areas at its latitude is due to its place in the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic Ocean. The average annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 4000 mm, an average of 3000 mm on the south coast of the island.
If you describe Iceland in a few words, so these are bewitching landscapes and unearthly beauties of untouched nature: from basalt mountains, geysers and waterfalls, to numerous national parks.
The main tourist centers of Iceland are the capital - Reykjavik; the Blue Lagoon, located just 40 minutes drive from the capital; the Vatnajokull National Park and the Thingvellir National Park- in the south-west of Iceland; close to them are geysers and thermal springs; amazing East Fjords open to visitors in the east of the country; the national park "Snefelsjokul" with its fantastic volcanic mountains - in the west ; and the Jokulsaurgluvur National Park, which is famous for its picturesque waterfalls and canyons - in the north. Tourists are also very fond of the coastal city Husavik, where they come to watch whales. For dessert, tourists are invited to visit the Westman Islands, where huge colonies of various seabirds live.
Despite a completely insignificant population (337,000 people), over two million tourists have visited the country over the past year. This is one of the highest rates of tourist flow from all Arctic countries!
The tourism office of Iceland, together with the government of the country, has done a great coordination of all sectors of tourism and unite them into a single functioning organism. Today, Iceland has a complete infrastructure: the road that surrounds the island, the national airline IcelandAir, offering low-cost flights between Europe and North America (with a stop in Reykjavik). The national tourist office continues to grow into one large network, which also now includes travel agents and hotels across the country.
The national marketing campaign Icelandair Stopover has turned travel to Iceland into a real holiday: a transit stop in Iceland, up to a week at no extra charge, specially designed tourist routes for various budgets, as well as study of local culture through various cultural and gastronomic events in the capital are offered for travelers across the Atlantic.
The government allocates large budgets for tourism marketing. So, in 2013, the Icelandic government signed an agreement with Hollywood to shoot the film “The Incredible Story of Walter Mitti” with Ben Stiller, where the incredible beauties of the country are advertised throughout the film. After the film was released, local tour operators also began to offer a new package of services, "Walter Mitti Tour". Would you like to follow in the footsteps of Walter Mitty and plunge yourself into the fabulous Iceland?
The hospitality of this country can only pleasantly surprise, and the developing service and the availability of service acquisition can only please! If you want to see the beauty of the Arctic, but do not want to dive into a large share of extreme sports, then Iceland will be the right decision.
Canada
Compared to Iceland, tourism in the Arctic zone of Canada is not as accessible to curious tourists and not as hospitable as we would like. We can say that the unexplored beauties of Arctic Canada are for fans of extreme sports and a very non-standard holiday; for those who like to conquer unknown trails and peaks.
The Arctic zone of the state includes the northern territories of the provinces Yukon, Nunavut and part of the North-Western territories. These lands are almost uninhabited.
Low-numbered peoples of the North live in the Arctic Canada, acquaintance with whom can be no less fun, as a walk along glaciers and snow-covered national parks.
The indigenous people of Wuntut Gwichin with a population of only about 300 people live on the territory of the Yukon province. There is practically no communication with them, you can only get by plane or canoe. Inuits and ancient Eskimo cultures of Thule and Dorset live in the province of Nunavut. This is one of the most developed provinces regarding infrastructure.
The main attractions of Arctic Canada are its national parks: Ivvavik National Park, Tuktut-Nogait National Park and Kattinerpark National Park. The main landscape of parks is tundra. Tourists can go rowing, watch migratory birds nests and breed, enjoy the beauty of unspoiled nature, sea kayaking, fishing and dog sledding on the tundra. All these winter funs are possible thanks to the local population, who meet the most daring and desperate tourists, who not afraid of either cold or long distances, with great joy!
Traffic and accommodation for tourists is more or less developed only in the province of Nunavut. In other cases, tourism implies the most extreme conditions, or only air traffic.
More affordable means of transport in the Arctic Canada are cruises offered by local tour operators. The routes pass through the most picturesque places, consist of ecological excursions by sea, wildlife watching and cultural programs. Also, such cruises can be a great opportunity to observe the Arctic from the sea, uniting several countries at once: joint cruise tours are offered from Greenland to Canada and from Europe to Canada (via the Northwest Passage).
The Arctic, despite its homogeneous snow-white and indescribable magical appeal, can be very different, as we understand now. If you are in the spirit of something out of the ordinary, and you are a lover of conquering and reaching new heights, then Arctic Canada will be exactly the place that will definitely gives you plenty doses of adrenaline! All the most relevant tours, cruises and flights to the Arctic Canada can be obtained from local tour operators:
But if you are still more romantic in your heart and do not chase large doses of adrenaline, but still want to immerse yourself in an Arctic tale, then you have a direct road to Iceland. Such a trip will definitely be remembered for a lifetime! All relevant information on tours, flights and cruises, as well as proposed travel packages mentioned in this article, can be found on the official website of the Tourism Office of Iceland: icelandtravel.is, as well as on the official website of Iceland Airlines: icelandair.com/flights/stopover.