“Geography dealt the Norwegian coastline a good hand when it comes to remaining unspoiled. Rugged terrain, cool, wet climate, difficult access, and a short tourist season keep development pressures comparatively low. It helps, too, to be in a sparsely populated country with one of the world’s best environmental track records,” Director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, Jonathan Tourtellot, said, when the Norwegian fjords were rated best out of 115 travel destinations worldwide.
“It’s no surprise that Norway’s fjords lead the top-scoring destinations, thanks to a combination of luck and wise stewardship,” he said.
As part of a push to promote sustainable tourism – preserving environment, heritage, and local culture – Norway became the second nation (following Honduras) to sign the National Geographic Geotourism Charter. Gunn Ovesen, CEO of Norway’s tourism and business development agency, Innovation Norway, co-signed the charter with Tourtellot. Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.
“The signing of the charter demonstrates that Norway is committed to being a leading geotourism travel destination,” Tourtellot said. Geotourism is a principle that countries and destinations work by, it is not a fancy logo or an empty buzzword. Among several examples of geotourism-type programs already undertaken in Norway are an officially designated national scenic road and Norway’s initiative to promote traditional farm foods and local products and raw materials.
Queen Sonja met with president and CEO of National Geographic Society, John M. Fahey, in a ceremony to celebrate the charter last fall. The Queen, who relishes outdoor activities, also made a presentation at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
She showed her own pictures from her trips hiking the Norwegian mountains and fjords. “I’m not a professional photographer,” she said, “but I try to capture what is special about our country, and I love to share it. It’s great if my presentation makes people want to go to Norway,” Queen Sonja said, following the speech.
With a high number of Norwegian-Americans and with a population concerned with eco-friendly tourism, the U.S. is an important market for Norwegian tour operators and destinations.
“Americans are very attractive tourists,” Innovation Norway’s Director of Tourism–Americas, Arne Hjeltnes, said. “It takes 3.4 Germans to create as much revenue for the Norwegian tourism industry as one American tourist. Americans don’t complain much, and have good things to say about Norway when they return home.” This spring, Hjeltnes is launching several campaigns to entice more Americans to vacation in Norway, including opportunities within geotourism.
Travel Portals:
www.norway.org/travel
www.visitnorway.com/us
www.norway.com
• Destinations:
Oslo: www.visitoslo.com
Bergen: www.visitbergen.com
Trondheim: www.trondheim.no
Ålesund: www.visitalesund.com
Stavanger: www.regionstavanger.com
Tromsø: www.destinasjontromso.no
Fjord region: www.fjordnorway.com
Hardanger: www.hardangerfjord.com
Flåm region and Flåm Railway: www.visitflam.com
Finnmark/North Cape: www.visitnorthcape.com
Lofoten Islands: www.lofoten.info
• Tour operators
www.coastalvoyage.com
www.globusjourneys.com
www.nordicco.com
www.countrywalkers.com
www.bortonoverseas.com
www.norwaynutshell.com
To receive tourist brochures about Norway in the mail, please contact:
Innovation Norway — Tourism
655 Third Avenue, Suite 1810
New York, N.Y. 10017
Phone: 212.885.9700
E-mail: usa@invanor.no