HX launches community-led excursion series with Inuit Elders

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) will launch a range of excursions in Arctic Canada co-created with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.

The series will be available from this summer on the expedition line’s 26-day Northwest Passage sailings which travel westbound from Greenland to Alaska on Fridtjof Nansen, and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland on Roald Amundsen.

The voyages will visit remote communities in Arctic Canada, and the first co-designed excursions will debut in Gjøa Haven, Pond Inlet and Cambridge Bay in the eastern Canadian Arctic which can only be accessed during the short summer season.

All of the excursion revenue will go directly to individuals and businesses in Nunavut.

The excursions are described as “a first for the global cruise industry” and offer passengers “a rare opportunity” to engage with daily life, culture and traditions in the Canadian Arctic through those that live there.

Excursions range from £29 to £125 and include: 

• Guided hikes to landmarks with Inuit storytelling 
• Participating in the lighting of the traditional Qilliq 
• Small-group discussions with community members about life in the North 
• Arctic char fishing with local harvesters using traditional weir techniques 
• Visiting summer cabins to learn how Inuit continue to live off the land 
• Collaborative art-making sessions using techniques and materials unique to each region 
• Storytelling with respected Elders sharing personal experiences and ancestral knowledge 
• Joining community events like bingo, card games or demonstrations of Arctic sports 

“This kind of collaboration is exactly what’s needed in Arctic tourism,” said Mariah Erkloo, a HX product planner and Inuk who was born and raised in Pond Inlet, who helped develop the excursions.

“It’s encouraging to see it begin in a way that centres Inuit voices and priorities. From the community side, if this model continues to grow with care, it will strengthen the experience for both locals and visitors.

“I look forward to seeing how it evolves and the lasting positive impact it will have for our communities and the people who travel through them.”  

Chief expedition officer Alex McNeil added: “These intimate excursions are an opportunity for travellers to create meaningful personal connections with local residents and experience the beauty of Inuit hospitality like never before.

“By keeping excursions to an average of 10 to 12 guests, we ensure each experience is personal and rooted in genuine exchange - offering a level of access, connection, and cultural integration you won’t find with other cruise lines.”