On 1st February, Tromsø Guideforening (TGF) organised its first open meeting for guides and tourism stakeholders in Tromsø.
A total of 28 participants attended, representing a wide spectrum of the local tourism field — Northern Lights guides, outdoor guides, Sámi camps, husky operations, accommodation providers from Skibotn and Helligskogen, and others working daily with Arctic visitors.
The goal of the meeting was simple:
to create a shared space where people working in the field could talk openly about real challenges, professional standards, and the future of guiding in the region.
Why the Meeting Was Important
Tourism in Tromsø has grown extremely quickly in recent years.
With that growth comes pressure — on guides, on nature, on local communities, and on cooperation between companies.
Guides meet these challenges every night in the field, especially during Northern Lights tours. The meeting showed very clearly that many of the same situations are experienced by everyone: parking pressure, overcrowded viewing spots, communication between companies, and expectations from guests.
Instead of discussing these issues only informally in parking lots or online groups, the purpose of the meeting was to bring them into a constructive and respectful dialogue.
What We Talked About
Guide etiquette and cooperation
Participants discussed professional behaviour during Northern Lights and fjord tours.
Topics included parking, safety, respect between guides, and communication when multiple groups share the same location.
A recurring theme was simple:
most conflicts in the field are not caused by bad intentions, but by lack of communication and common expectations.
Northern Lights locations and pressure
Many guides shared experiences with overcrowded aurora viewing areas.
The discussion also touched on tour formats and space usage — for example that one large bus can sometimes create less overall pressure than several minibuses arriving separately.
Hotel representatives from Skibotn and Helligskogen also described how increased tourism affects small local communities during the winter season.
Education and training
There was strong interest in shared training initiatives.
One concrete proposal was for TGF to help organise a wilderness first aid course accessible to guides from different companies.
The idea behind this is cooperation instead of duplication — improving safety and competence across the destination.
Certification and professional standards
Participants generally agreed that professional standards matter.
At the same time, many warned against creating overly strict certification systems that could become barriers rather than support for guides.
Several participants expressed that a formal destination certification, if developed, should be coordinated at destination level, while TGF focuses on education, knowledge sharing, and professional dialogue.
Knowledge sharing
A widely supported proposal was the creation of practical guide resources on the TGF website.
These would include informational materials for different types of guiding (Northern Lights, whales, huskies, Sámi tourism, fjord tours) as well as simple information material for visitors — helping tourists better understand conditions, safety, and local expectations.
Land use and local cooperation
Another important topic was cooperation with landowners.
Guides and companies frequently operate on private land, and there is a growing need for clearer agreements between tourism operators and property owners. This will be an area for further work.
What We Learned
The meeting confirmed something important:
Tromsø’s guides do not lack willingness to cooperate.
They lack a common platform.
Participants supported the idea that TGF should function as:
- a professional meeting place
- a platform for dialogue
- a bridge between guides, companies, locals, and authorities
There was also strong agreement that experienced and returning guides are essential for maintaining quality and safety in Arctic tourism.
What Happens Next
The meeting was not intended to solve everything immediately.
Its purpose was to begin a process.
TGF will now continue working on:
- shared guiding standards and etiquette
- education and training opportunities
- communication and information resources
- dialogue with companies, landowners, and authorities
Follow-up meetings and working groups will be organised, and anyone interested in contributing is welcome to participate.
Thank You
We would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to an open and constructive discussion.
Building a professional community takes time, but this meeting showed clearly that many people care about doing tourism in Tromsø responsibly — both for guests and for the place we all work in.
If you would like to be involved in future meetings or working groups, you are welcome to contact us or become a member of Tromsø Guideforening.
Let’s build this together.
