A tourism operator in northern Norway must drive 16 hours and 70 miles out of his way to avoid breaking the law, highlighting how conflicting county regulations are strangling the country's Arctic tourism industry. Source: Norwegian Government's Arctic Policy.
Alex Robins runs Arctic North Adventures in Sigerfjord, Nordland county, just kilometers from the Troms county border. His business offers northern lights tours and wildlife safaris to international visitors. But when he drives tourists across the county line, he risks fines and losing his license.
The problem stems from how Nordland and Troms counties interpret national transport regulations differently. Nordland grants exemptions from taxi licensing for tourism guides transporting visitors. Troms county refuses these exemptions, requiring full taxi licenses instead.
"It's just bureaucratic nonsense," Robins told NRK. To pick up tourists at Evenes airport, the closest to his business, he would cross into Troms illegally. Following the rules means a detour through Bodø and Narvik.
Safety concerns mask regulatory turf war
Troms county justifies its strict interpretation on safety grounds. Jan Egil Vassdokken, assistant director at Troms transport authority, argues that taxi licenses ensure drivers have professional qualifications and vehicles undergo annual EU safety inspections.
"If we start giving exemptions on that scale, then it's no longer the exception. It becomes the norm," Vassdokken said.
But the regulation creates the opposite of safety. According to industry analysis, forcing Lofoten guides to take full-day detours via Bodø and Narvik "achieves the exact opposite of safety."
Line Samuelsen, tourism chief at Destination Lofoten, says operators risk fines between 60,000 and 70,000 kroner ($5,500-$6,400). She wants a separate national license for tourist transport that bypasses taxi regulations entirely.
"What are we doing? Are we running taxis, or are we running experience businesses?" Samuelsen asked.
Central government intervention needed
The dispute exposes deeper flaws in Norway's decentralized transport regulation. Counties gained authority over taxi licensing as part of administrative reforms, but national coordination disappeared.
Vassdokken admits the current system is "difficult for the industry" with "an unclear regulatory framework" after "many changes in regulations over the past five years."
Both Troms and Nordland counties now want national authorities to intervene. Nordland county is taking the dispute to central government for clarification. The Ministry of Transport has received formal requests to resolve the conflict.
The tourism minister visited the region to assess the challenges, but no action followed.
This regulatory chaos undermines Norway's push to develop Arctic tourism as oil revenues decline. International visitors expect seamless transport between airports and attractions, not bureaucratic borders that force 16-hour detours. Expect Samferdselsdepartementet (the transport ministry) to face parliamentary questions about county coordination failures before summer recess.
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