By
Alex Smith |
HX Expeditions is launching a new excursion programme in Arctic Canada, developed in partnership with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.
Launching in summer 2025, the community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings, which travel westbound from Greenland to Alaska onboard Fridtjof Nansen and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland onboard Roald Amundsen.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what’s needed in Arctic tourism,” said Mariah Erkloo, HX product planner and Inuk born and raised in Pond Inlet. “It’s encouraging to see it begin in a way that centers 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.”
Excursions are intended to give guests a chance to engage with daily life in the region
The excursions will debut in Gjøa Haven, Pond Inlet, and Cambridge Bay, communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic that can only be visited during a short summer window. Each excursion has been created to offer guests an opportunity to engage with daily life, culture and traditions in the region.
Experiences will include guided hikes to local landmarks with Inuit storytelling, participating in the lighting of the traditional Qilliq, small-group “Arctic Conversations” discussions with community members and Arctic char fishing with local harvesters. Guests will also have the choice to visit summer cabins to learn how Inuit continue to live off the land or take part in collaborative art-making sessions using techniques unique to the region.
“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,” said Alex McNeil, chief expedition officer at HX. “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.”
HX will not take any margin from their excursions in their phase, with 100 per cent of the revenues going directly to individuals, artists and local businesses in Nunavut.
“This is just the beginning,” said McNeil. “We believe the future of exploration lies in collaboration - with the people who have called these regions home for generations.”