At the end of May, participating companies from the Arctic Europe Tourism Cluster (AETC) gathered in Kirkenes, Norway, for our latest cross-border networking event. Organized and hosted by AETC in collaboration with the Northern Norway Tourist Board, the event brought together tourism professionals from across Arctic Europe to connect, exchange ideas, and explore new approaches to sustainable, year-round tourism.
👉 View the full event program here
Over the course of two dynamic days, project participants and partners reviewed recent AETC activities and looked ahead to upcoming initiatives. Sessions focused on practical tools, shared challenges, and fresh strategies for developing tourism that delivers real value to our communities — socially, economically, and environmentally.
One of the central themes was the introduction of Arctic Mode, a communication concept developed by Oh My | PPP to inspire more mindful travel and storytelling rooted in Arctic values. This was supported by the launch of the This is Arctic brand book, which provides a visual identity and messaging toolkit for stakeholders across the region.
Marie Nystad Helgesen from NordNorsk Reiseliv AS presented the digital marketing initiatives now underway as part of the AETC digital marketing framework, sharing hands-on insights for reaching modern travelers in engaging and meaningful ways.
We also welcomed Michael Green from the Social Progress Imperative, who presented the beta version of a new tool designed to measure the true value of tourism for our societies. Moving beyond just economic impact, the tool considers five key dimensions: governance and strategy, well-being, resilience, economy, and environmental sustainability. As part of the event, Michael Green led a workshop to gather valuable input from participants on which specific indicators should be included before moving forward with pilot testing. The plan is to start with one pilot per county in each participating country, ensuring the tool is both practical and relevant to local contexts.
From the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board, CEO Annika Fredriksson shared the latest developments in the Care for the Arctic – it’s our home agenda. Their work focuses on three key fronts to build a truly responsible destination: engaging the responsible traveller, empowering responsible enablers, and supporting responsible companies. The aim is to involve and unite the destination’s main stakeholders to act together toward a shared vision — making Swedish Lapland the world’s most responsible Arctic travel destination. The goal is to ensure it is easy for responsible travellers to visit, make informed choices during their stay, and actively contribute to sustainable local development.
In a session led by Gergana Nikolova and Martina Bradacova from BehaviorSMART, participants explored how behavioral science can deepen our understanding of traveler mindsets and help design tourism experiences that gently guide visitors toward more responsible, place-sensitive behavior.
The Care for the Arctic concept originally emerged during the Visit Arctic Europe Two project, and over the past few years, the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board has made significant progress laying its foundation. Now, as part of the AETC project, we are building on this groundwork and expanding it across the entire Arctic Europe region through a new partnership with BehaviorSMART.
This collaboration aims to move the initiative forward by turning shared values into shared guidelines. We are asking: What would a practical, realistic code of conduct look like—one rooted in the everyday realities of Arctic life?
We were honoured to be welcomed by Mayor Magnus Mæland, and grateful to Dag Norum from Visit Kirkenes for helping contextualize the region and its significance.
Warm thanks also go to Thon Hotel Kirkenes and Scandic Hotels for their hospitality, and to the incredible team at Snowhotel Kirkenes, who hosted us for a memorable evening in their newly opened Teina restaurant.
Recordings from the live sessions will be available on our Youtube channel, along with highlights from past sessions, and market insights across the Arctic Europe region.
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Organized by: Arctic Europe Tourism Cluster (AETC) & Northern Norway Tourist Board
In cooperation with: Interreg Aurora, Finnish Lapland Tourist Board, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board
📸 Photos by Marie Nystad Helgesen