Tourism (and Eco-tourism)is a recent development for the Arctic. Visits to the far north have increased considerably during the last 15 years, with up to one million tourists arriving each year. Here are some tips if you plan to be visitor 1,000,001:

•  Such attention is new to many Arctic peoples, but, like most places in the world, visitors are most likely to be accepted and welcomed if they travel with an open mind, and learn about local culture, traditions, and customs.

•  What may seem unique or unusual to a visitor may just be ordinary life to people in the Arctic, with residents going about the day to day business of carrying on their own private lives. Ask permission before you photograph people or enter their property.

•  Supplies are sometimes scarce in communities of the Far North, so one can't expect to get everything that might be available at home. Be prepared to bring some of your own things.

•  Leave the areas that you visit as you found them, and do not disturb the land or the wildlife. In particular, don't tangle with polar bears - they're meat eaters and that's what you're made of.

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