Hurtigruten Expeditions Donates 1% of each Alaskan Booking During Earth Week to Protect Alaskan Wildlife

SEATTLE, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurtigruten Expeditions, the world leader in exploration travel and advocate for sustainable travel, is launching a sale for Earth Week to allow more Americans to discover some of the most unique places on Earth, while its Hurtigruten Foundation will donate to support Alaskan wildland. The Foundation will donate 1% of the total cost of each Alaskan cruise sold during Earth Week to Alaska Wilderness League, which will help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in Alaska's northeast corner, as well as other wildlife reserves. Comprising 19.6 million acres of wildland, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest unit in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Fittingly ahead of Earth Week, Hurtigruten Group CEO Daniel Skjeldam was named one of AFAR's 2021 Travel Vanguards for his and the brand's commitment to sustainability.

"Sustainability is an integral part of Hurtigruten's DNA and our priority any day of the year. From introducing the world's first hybrid electric-powered expedition ship, the MS Roald Amundsen, a few years ago, to most of our ships soon operating with biofuel from organic waste and battery power, we can confidently claim we have the greenest fleet in the industry," said John Downey, President of Hurtigruten Americas.

"Another important aspect of our everyday focus on the environment we operate within is working closely with all the local communities in the destinations we serve to help empower them for the future. Our mission is that you arrive as a guest but leave as a friend, as you get to know and understand the local indigenous population. In Alaska, we take you further and closer to the remote communities than any of the large ships can ever get," added Downey.

"Alaska Wilderness League stands with the many people and organizations that believe in a sustainable future for Alaska. We also honor and respect the cultures of Alaska Natives whose way of life remains deeply connected to the state's land, water, and wildlife," said Adam Kolton, Executive Director of Alaska Wilderness League. "Alaska, with its rapidly rising temperatures, increases in wildfires, thawing permafrost, receding glaciers, eroding coastlines, and disappearing sea ice is ground zero in the climate crisis in the United States. Alaska Wilderness League is committed to confronting the causes and impacts of climate change and defending America's last great wild public lands and waters, and are happy to have the support of companies like Hurtigruten and their customers that are dedicated to conducting business in an environmentally responsible way and committed to respecting local Indigenous cultures."

Hurtigruten Expeditions is also the only major cruise operator in Alaskan waters to be certified by  Adventure Green Alaska, a certification program that defines sustainable tourism as travel to natural areas that benefits local economies, respects the environment, and is sensitive to indigenous cultures.

During Earth Week, April 19 to 26, 2021, Hurtigruten offers up to 40% off 27 Alaskan and Norwegian cruises between 2021 and 2023:

• Alaska and British Columbia – Wilderness, Glaciers, and Culture
• Alaska and British Columbia – Inside Passage, Bears, and Aleutian Islands
• Northern Lights and Fjords Expedition
• Fjords Expedition Cruise
• Midnight Sun Expedition
  

Additional information and full terms and conditions can be found at Hurtigruten.com/offers/earth-day/.

Hurtigruten Expeditions' other popular destinations include Antarctica, including two once-in-a-lifetime Solar Eclipse sailings this November; the British Isles; Canada's Northwest Passage, the Caribbean and Central America; Europe; Greenland; Iceland; South America; and Svalbard in the Arctic North.

"At Hurtigruten, we are constantly pushing the boundaries for innovation within sustainability, whether it is to introduce the first battery-powered catamaran in the Arctic, the MS Bard, this summer, or the battery-powered snowmobiles we introduced back in 2019. We will continuously strive to find the best partners to drive our sustainability focus forward, ensuring our guests leave a minimal impact on their journey," said Downey.

All of Hurtigruten's sustainability initiatives can be found here: www.hurtigruten.com/about-hurtigruten/our-corporate-social-responsibility/.

About Hurtigruten Expeditions – the world leader in exploration travel

Hurtigruten Expeditions is the world's largest and leading expedition cruise line. With sustainability and exploration at core, we offer big adventures on small ships – taking you to some of the most spectacular areas of our planet.

Tracing our roots back to the great explorers and golden age of exploration, the curiosity, sense of adventure, love for our planet, and the art of exploration is deeply embedded in our DNA.

With Hurtigruten Expeditions, you can join fellow explorers on adventures to 30+ countries and more than 250 destinations, including Antarctica, Alaska, Northwest Passage, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Norway, British Isles, South America, Caribbean, and more.

Hurtigruten Expedition's fleet of seven small-size custom-built ships includes the world's first battery-hybrid powered cruise ships – and a variety of green technology enabling to explore more sustainably.

Onboard, you will join our team of experts. Hand-picked for your adventure, they will join you as you explore wildlife, nature, local communities and more, taking full advantage of our onboard Science Center and abundance of expedition equipment - making sure we can take you where the big ships can't.

As generations of explorers have done before us, we are always looking for new adventures and new areas to explore, and new adventures to embark on. Join us – and explore more!

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SOURCE Hurtigruten