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Cruise line giant Hurtigruten is now offering passengers the opportunity to visit some of Norway’s most remote coastal communities in an effort to promote meaningful slow travel.
The “Open Village” experience will allow travellers to visit three secluded locations: Bessaker, Trᴂna and Sæbø and interact closely with locals while participating in exclusive, immersive activities.
This opportunity will only be available on Hurtigruten’s Signature Line voyages, which run from May to September. These smaller cruises are the only ones to visit the remote communities during summer, carrying up to 500 passengers per trip.
Hurtigruten will also pay NOK 250 (€21.20) per cruise traveller to each village for every visit, allowing each village to potentially earn up to €10,600 per visit.
These kinds of initiatives have become all the more urgent for Norway, as the country continues to struggle with overtourism in popular destinations such as Lofoten Islands and Tromsø. It recently became the latest European country to introduce a tourist tax following record visitor numbers and accommodation bookings.
Odd Tore Skildheim, head of product development at Hurtigruten, has emphasised that the “Open Village” programme would lead to more genuine connections while travelling.
“These villages, with a combined population of fewer than 1,000, are not just points on a map,” he said in a press release
“Through our ‘Open Village’ concept, there is no cost to our guests. Our aim is for guests to feel truly welcomed and for locals to feel genuinely supported.”
Some of the activities offered as part of the scheme include woodcarving, festive village parades, live music and woodcarving in Bessaker. The village also has historic sites such as Osen Bygdetun, an ancient farm and local museum, and Helleristninger/Gravhaug, for rock carvings.
Visitors can learn about local traditions and personal stories, while indulging in homemade fresh coffee, cake and sodd, a traditional Norwegian meat soup.
Travellers have a chance to enjoy a self-guided and flexible cultural adventure through curated booklets while visiting Trᴂna, one of Norway’s oldest fishing communities. This includes the Petter Drass Chapel, the Trᴂna Local Museum and the village church.
Sæbø also offers a live church concert with local musicians. Cruise passengers are able to visit the Avalanche Centre as well and learn about the region’s cultural and natural history from guides.
Knut Johan Monkan, from Coastal Host Bessaker, highlighted that the “Open Village” programme is not only important for income for these communities, but also for optimism and growth.
“In a village of just 170 people, 12 businesses benefit directly, from activity providers to artists, bakers and local producers. Without this initiative, places like FABrikken, our new restaurant, and Stokkøy Bakeri, named Norway’s best bakery in 2023, would not have managed to keep going,” he said.
“The ripple effects are wide-reaching, and Hurtigruten’s presence is essential to creating a sustainable, living village and district.”