Whitehorse has been part of an interesting exchange taking place between 15 Arctic cities through the Arctic Urban and Regional Cooperation (AURC) network — including hosting the network’s first study visit in 2024. The newly released AURC report gives us a look at what cities have been learning from one another, and what they are taking back home.
From a tourism industry perspective, some of those lessons caught our attention.
Across the network, Arctic cities are taking an active role in shaping how tourism fits into their communities. Tromsø is developing a sustainable tourism strategy and working with other Arctic cities on visitor management, carrying capacity and balanced growth. Kópavogur is developing its own tourism policy as the community grows as a destination. Utqiaġvik has connected visitor infrastructure and place branding with community identity.
Whitehorse has been part of those conversations, sharing its own experience and learning from its Arctic peers. The opportunity now is to bring those ideas home and consider what they could mean in a Whitehorse context.
That’s one of the real strengths of Arctic cooperation: communities don’t need to follow the same path, but we don’t have to figure everything out on our own either.
There’s plenty more in the report worth exploring — from tourism and talent attraction to emergency preparedness, culture and community resilience. Take a look at what Whitehorse and its Arctic peers have been learning from one another.
Read the ‘Cooperation for a sustainable Arctic future’ report from the AURC here.