LT&C began in Svalbard
Svalbard is the cradle of LT&C. The following description is the story of an impressive example that highlights how cooperation between tourism and conservation resulted in an increase of well-managed national parks and other protected areas.
Saving Svalbard: A Coalition for Conservation
In 1995, as Norway celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Svalbard Treaty, a major threat to the pristine wilderness of the archipelago emerged. A coal company proposed building the first long-distance road through Reindalen, Svalbard's largest green tundra area. This plan, if implemented, could have set a dangerous precedent, allowing other Svalbard Treaty members to construct similar infrastructure, causing irreversible damage to the fragile ecosystem.
The proposal galvanized action from a coalition of conservation NGOs, including WWF, Friends of the Earth Norway (NNV), and BirdLife Norway (NOF), alongside tourism organizations such as the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) and later Oceanwide Expeditions and Spitzbergen Tours. Together, they launched a campaign titled **“No Road through Svalbard Wilderness!”**
The campaign produced a four-page informational leaflet and urged the public to send postcards to Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The response was overwhelming—approximately 4,000 postcards were sent, applying significant pressure on the Norwegian government.
A Victory for Svalbard’s Wilderness
The campaign had a powerful impact. The Norwegian Parliament (Storting) froze the road construction plan as part of discussions about the future of Svalbard. The Storting also set a national goal to make Svalbard the best-managed wilderness area in the world, urging the government to protect critical tundra areas like Reindalen through the creation of new national parks.
As a result, several new national parks were established, complementing the existing ones that primarily protected glaciers and mountain areas. Today, nearly the entire archipelago is safeguarded by **seven national parks and 21 nature reserves.
The Norwegian government also enacted a special environmental law emphasizing the preservation of Svalbard’s pristine wilderness. Additionally, an environmental fund was created, financed by a 150 NOK fee paid by the 100,000 tourists visiting Svalbard annually by plane or ship. The fund transparently supports education, research, and sustainable tourism management.
Svalbard is now not only one of the world’s most protected wilderness areas but also a leading example of how tourism can support conservation.
Linking Tourism and Conservation
The success of the campaign fostered stronger ties between tourism and conservation stakeholders. Under the coordination of WWF, a group of experts, agencies, and companies developed Arctic Tourism Guidelines, which were translated into multiple languages and distributed across the Arctic region. For several years, an award sponsored by Finnish conservationist Heidi Andersson recognized tour operators exemplifying this synergy between tourism and conservation.
In 2007, GRID-Arendal, in collaboration with UNEP, extended this concept globally through a project called Linking Tourism & Conservation (LT&C). This initiative identified examples of financial mechanisms and educational strategies where tourism directly supported protected areas. By 2014, LT&C was formalized as a Norwegian NGO, continuing its mission to create and share successful tourism-conservation models worldwide.
Lessons for the World
Svalbard’s story demonstrates the transformative potential of partnerships between conservationists and the tourism industry. By aligning their goals, these stakeholders not only protected a unique wilderness but also established a replicable model for sustainable tourism. Svalbard remains an inspiration, reminding us that effective conservation is achievable when advocacy, political will, and tourism collaborate for the greater good.
