WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
PANEL OF EXPERTS ON POLAR OBSERVATIONS,
RESEARCH AND SERVICES
EC-PORS-3/INF. 4
Submitted by: AECO
Date: 17.1.2012
Third session
SODANKYLÄ, FINLAND, 6-8 FEBRUARY 2012
AGENDA ITEM: 6.1
ENGAGING PARTNERS
ASSOCIATION OF ARCTIC EXPEDITION CRUISE OPERATORS (AECO)
ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED:
This note is provided for information and consideration by EC-PORS.
DECISIONS/ACTIONS REQUIRED:
Information for discussion by Task Teams.
REFERENCES:
1. http://www.aeco.no/
EC-PORS-3/INF. 4, p. 2
Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)
1. Background
AECO was founded in 2003 and is an international organization for Arctic expedition cruise
operators. AECO is dedicated to manage responsible, environmentally-friendly and safe
expeditions in the Arctic. AECO has 16 members who collectively operate approximately 20
expedition vessels in the Arctic. This is the greater majority of the expedition cruise operators in
Svalbard and Greenland, and some of the operators in Russia and Canada. The headquarters
is located in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. In 2012, AECO opened an office in
Copenhagen, Denmark.
AECO has become an important stakeholder representing the concerns and views of Arctic
expedition cruise operators. AECO’s overall objective is to ensure that expedition cruises and
tourism in the Arctic is carried out with the utmost consideration for the vulnerable, natural
environment, local cultures and cultural remains, as well as the challenging safety hazards at
sea and on land by developing guidelines in co-operation with national and local authorities and
other interested parties. AECO-members are obligated to operate in accordance with national
and international laws and place importance on the implementation of the comprehensive
AECO guidelines.
2. Cruise Tourism in the Arctic
Cruise vessels have been visiting the arctic areas for at least 140 years. Records show that
6.000 – 7.000 cruise tourists visited Kongsfjorden in Svalbard as early as the late 1930s. Today,
more than 70 years later, the numbers are more accurate and higher, but statistics shows no
booming. On the contrary, recent years shows a decline. The table below shows the number of
cruise passengers in Svalbard (Norway) and Greenland 2005-2011.
Number of cruise passengers to Svalbard (Norway) and Greenland 2005 – 2011
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Svalbard
34.760
34.908
40.256
38.737
38.269
35.448
33.896
Greenland
16.446
22.051
23.506
28.891
26.976
30.271
29.826
Numbers include all commercial cruise traffic; passengers on small, medium and large conventional cruise vessels as well as
passengers on small expedition cruise vessels. Sources: Governor of Svalbard, Greenland Tourism and Statistics Greenland
A significant part of the cruise tourism in the Arctic regions is carried out as “expedition” cruise
operations. Expedition cruise vessels are often smaller than most conventional cruise vessels.
Expedition cruise vessels are also carrying zodiac or the like – i.e. small boats used for “zodiaccruising” and tendering of passengers where there is no pier or limited harbor facilities. Whereas
larger conventional cruise vessels sail in limited areas and most often to towns where harbor
EC-PORS-3/INF. 4, p. 3
facilities can be used, expedition cruise vessels can arrange landings practically anywhere and
therefore sail in larger parts of the Arctic.
Svalbard, Greenland and Jan Mayen are popular destinations. Svalbard because of the
interesting towns, history and unique wildlife, Greenland because of the combination of
untouched nature and the many greenlandic inhabited settlements and towns. In addition both
places offer glaciers and sea ice in many variations.
Maritime operations of expedition cruise vessels and other cruise vessels in the Arctic primarily
take place in the warmest months of the year. In Svalbard the cruise peak season is from June
to August. In the warmer waters of the Greenlandic south-west-coast (in the so called open
water area, where the ocean practically never freezes) this period can be extended with one
month in both ends. The first cruise or expedition ships normally arrive in Greenland in May and
the last ships normally leave in September. The eastern coast of Greenland is often not
accessible until August due to sea-ice conditions. The same applies to the northern part of
Greenland’s west coast in the Thule-area and Arctic Canada where the northwest-passage, if
ice-free at all, only has been accessible late in the season.
3. Arctic Cruise Operations Meteorological Data
Adequate and reliable meteorological data is of utmost importance for safe maritime operations.
This includes continuous general weather forecasts on local level, which may be a challenge in
some remote areas of the Arctic. The same applies for sea conditions such as tide, waves,
swells, currents, streaming and directions. The combination of challenging weather-situations,
including wind and currents in combination with sea ice, is of the more challenging situation
when navigation in Arctic areas. Good and updated information on sea ice condition is therefore
considered to be of great importance for Arctic navigations.
Members of AECO have collaborated with Noetix/Kongsberg Satellite station during a trial
period to test the “Image Everywhere”, which primarily aims at providing sea-ice information.
This real time access to high resolutions satellite data can be of great help for the cruise
industry. It helps identifying the easiest routes and navigates around obstacles, saving time and
fuel consumption as well as hull maintenance. In this regard, images identifying differences
between one year old and multiple year old ice are very helpful, likewise access to information
about ice thickness.
Limitation in vessel communication systems may sometimes give challenges in regard to
transmission of information, but the largest challenges are more often the price of some
services. Cruise operations in the Arctic are characterized by many small operators/companies
unable to carry such costs. It is highly desirable to have access to all information listed above,
but for many operators this will only be the case if the information is provided by governmental
agencies or for a low price.