Magnetic North Travel

A word from Magnetic North Travel
At Magnetic North Travel, our philosophy is based on the Norwegian idea of 'Friluftsliv'. Translated literally as 'Free air living', it inspires people to value their outdoor life through learning from traditions and seeking enjoyment in nature. It’s a simple but powerful philosophy that originates in the Magnetic North, and Norway in particular. It’s helped generations of families to explore their surroundings and to breath and live with nature – together. Our landscapes are home to communities – some have come and gone – but they all provide endless tales that capture the imaginations of our guests, young and old alike. We weave these stories into our holidays and use traditional ways to explore nature – at nature’s pace.

Like many philosophies and ways of thinking, friluftsliv takes on different meanings to different people. And we at Magnetic North Travel aim to be as faithful as we can to its original significance. There are many friluftsliv elements that come together within our tours. The many regions of the Magnetic North also add their own local flavours, characters and settings. Our holidays are based on a deep synthesis between nature and people. We immerse our guests in awe-inspiring environments with the cultural guidance of local people. They’ll lead you in learning about how their traditions from the past and present sustain them into the future.

We want our guests to see, experience, feel and change through visiting our Magnetic North. We don’t prescribe exactly how this’ll happen. But what we do insist is that our place in nature is one of respect and learning. We give our guests space to re-assess what’s important to them and perhaps return home thinking or feeling more positively about their place on the planet. This is as much their story as ours, after all.

Our holidays
We know that the trips we sell demand precious resources. This is not a new concept for Magnetic North Travel as one of our founders has already dedicated several years to understanding and communicating sustainable tourism concepts and actions to government, travellers and industry. She knows all too well the cost of tourism to people and planet. But she’s also spent many weeks visiting examples of tourism which not only reduce their environmental and social impact, but actively seek to contribute to the communities in which they’re based. This way of working and influencing guests has had a profound impact on Laura. It led her to believe that travel really could be a practical learning experience which, when delivered in a way to entice and inspire guests, meant that people could think a little differently about their place on the planet.

So it was when the founders of Magnetic North came together, they each thought that the holidays we would sell should, above all, have a profound and positive impact on the lives of our guests – young and old alike.

Choosing our suppliers is the first step to achieving that goal. How do they operate? How do they fit into the landscapes around them? How do they impact on people and communities around them? Where do they source food from? Are they passionate about their calling? When we’re satisfied that our suppliers meet the criteria we set on them, only can we work together and create unique trips for our guests. The majority of our accommodation is owned by individuals and families so the money goes directly into the pockets of the communities. Similarly they work with suppliers of food and other provisions that are local to them and provide wonderful flavours of the region for our guests.

We don’t sell flights. We help people to choose the best journey to their destination. This gives us flexibility to research travel by land and sea and offer a lower carbon journey.

Find out about our efforts to go Beyond Green.