04/05/2006 - Oslo, Norway
– WWF and Arctic tour operator Spitsbergen Travel
have signed an agreement that will increase awareness
about the Arctic environment among tourists, company
employees and business partners.
Spitsbergen Travel, based in
the Svalbard Archipelago, will support WWF’s work
in the Arctic for three years through a joint
climate project in which the tour operator has
committed to analyze its energy use and reduce
its emissions. Spitsbergen Travel will also reduce
the environmental impact of its hotels, and tell
visitors to Svalbard about environmental issues
in the Arctic.
The Arctic has long been a popular
destination for tourism. Visitors have been coming
to Svalbard, for example, since the 1890s.
“The Arctic is the basis of
our business so we must care for it," said
Jan Sverre Sivertsen, Spitsbergen Travel's marketing
manager.
"We want to do our part
to protect it and hope that this cooperation will
be positive both for Spitsbergen Travel and WWF,
but more importantly for Arctic nature.”
The latest findings indicate
that the Earth is warming faster than at any time
in the last 10,000 years and climate change in
the Arctic is expected to be among the greatest
of any region on Earth.
Damage done to the fragile Arctic
ecosystems is extremely long lasting. In some
cases, it may be irreversible. Populations of
some whales are still dangerously low after centuries
of hunting even though most commercial whaling
has ceased. And fish stocks in some Arctic waters
are being fished to extinction, while sea birds
and even polar bears suffer from over-hunting.
”Tour companies can make a big
difference in the Arctic," said WWF International
Arctic Programme Director Samantha Smith.
"They can set an example
by running their business in an environmentally-friendly
way. They can also educate their guests, who ideally
will return home inspired to make a difference
on climate change and other issues.”
END NOTES:
• Since 1992, WWF’s International
Arctic Programme has been working across the Arctic
to preserve the region's rich biodiversity in
a sustainable way. The Programme focuses on five
of WWF’s global priorities: marine, freshwater,
species, toxics and climate change, as well as
sustainable tourism.
