Today’s theme is tourist season cancellation. From cruise ships to small tours, everything has been put on hold for the 2020 tourist season. But what does it mean for locals, and the people who run these tours?

This week, I sat down with Peter Garapick, who is the Director of Industry Relations at Quark Expeditions, and has over 30 years of experience with the Canadian coast guard. Quark has been operating small commercial tours in the Arctic and Antarctic for 30 years, but Peter started just a few months before the COVID-19 lockdowns. We talked about navigating this immense disruption, what it means for locals, and how the industry moves forward.

Welcome to Uncharted, an Arctic360 podcast about the impact of COVID-19 on the North American Arctic. All summer long we’ll talk to the people who live, work and govern the Arctic, to understand how we move forward from this moment in history.

Today’s theme is tourist season cancellation. From cruise ships to small tours, everything has been put on hold for the 2020 tourist season. But what does it mean for locals, and the people who run these tours?

This week, I sat down with Peter Garapick, who is the Director of Industry Relations at Quark Expeditions, and has over 30 years of experience with the Canadian coast guard. Quark has been operating small commercial tours in the Arctic and Antarctic for 30 years, but Peter started just a few months before the COVID-19 lockdowns. We talked about navigating this immense disruption, what it means for locals, and how the industry moves forward.

When it comes to COVID-19…this is uncharted.