On October 22-23, the annual meeting of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) took place in Oslo. The event, which spans three days, began with presentations of Arctic destinations and networking between operators and destination management organizations (DMOs).
This year saw a record number of participants from Greenland, including representatives from DMOs as well as several agents and boat operators. The goal for the Greenlandic delegation was to strengthen relationships with AECO’s members—primarily expedition ships visiting Greenland and the Qeqertalik region. The event also featured a presentation on Destination Diskobay, highlighting the region’s many opportunities.
“I would like to thank AECO for the invitation to present our destination, Destination Diskobay – Qeqertalik. I showcased our adventure offerings, local operators, accommodation options, restaurants, cafés, and events. I also spoke about the development of expedition cruises over the past six years, how they are segmented, and how we work with cruise tourism. In addition to the presentation, we met with people we were already in contact with, who shared their positive and challenging experiences when visiting our destination. We also created new connections, for which I am very grateful,” says Navarana Bidstrup, Destination Manager.
On the second day of the conference, the CEO of Ponant delivered a keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion with leading operators in Arctic expedition cruises. The discussion covered challenges and opportunities within the industry.
Additionally, several Arctic countries’ governments provided updates on their political agendas affecting the cruise industry, including destinations like Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, and Nunavut. Salik Hard from the Department of Business presented Greenland’s upcoming tourism law, zoning regulations, and concession law to the roughly 150 industry attendees. The participants did not have many questions about the new terms for the industry during Salik’s presentation
“We are leaving with a sense that we have come closer to the shipping companies again. A networking forum like this is essential, especially when we want to attract more expedition ships to our region, rather than the large cruise ships with a few thousand passengers,” said Director Gerth P. Olsen after the meeting.
