Hurtigruten is calling for new policies for the large cruise ships that operate in Norway, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Gerry Larsson-Fedde, said at an industry event earlier this month.

“We are seeing an incredible increase in the traffic of these big cruise ships,” he explained, noting that Hurtigruten has been operating in the country for 132 years.

“We really need to have some kind of strategy in Norway on how we’re going to handle this moving forward because they also go to some of the same ports as we do,” Larsson-Fedde continued.

These larger ships are creating challenges, he added, not only for the environment but for Norway in general.

“I think for us, it always comes naturally because of the way we operate our ships. But for everyone else coming to the country, it is not necessarily like that,” Larsson-Fedde said.

“In light of that, it’s important that we have some clear guidance on how you should operate when you’re in Norway.”

He added that Hurtigruten is hoping to see more movement on this subject starting next year while highlighting the company’s relationship with the country.

“We go to 34 different ports on the Norwegian coast; 80 percent of the produce that we serve onboard, we buy locally,” Larsson-Fedde said.

“In addition to international guests, we are also transporting local passengers and cargo, which at the same time gives us a kind of meaningful course as well.

“It gives us the possibility to go to places where we have a purpose. Some of these places you would never visit because they wouldn’t be very attractive for you to go to,” he continued.

“But they allow you to see the real, genuine local lifestyle,” Larsson-Fedde added, pointing out the fact that the experience in these ports is “not commercial, but instead interesting and fascinating.”