General terms of purchase

In connection with the booking of activities/accommodation with Svalbard Reiselivsråd’s (owner of Visit Svalbard) member companies, the individual organiser/operator (hereafter referred to as “the operator”) shall be regarded as the provider of the service in its entirety. This means that all purchases done on the operator’s own website shall be regarded as direct agreements between the customer/participant (hereafter referred to as “the customer”) and the individual operator.

If the customer makes a booking on behalf of several participants, the customer in question is responsible for conveying the terms and conditions to the individual participants. The participants are all bound by the agreement the customer has entered into. Should the individual customer dispute their liability for payment then the customer who made the booking is jointly and severally liable with the customer the booking was made on behalf of.

Visit Svalbard AS is not a party to either the actual booking, monetary transaction or delivery of the service, other than as a facilitator via the joint booking portal. Allcorrespondence, such as confirmations, content, changes and any claims/complaints, must be resolved between the two contracting parties: the operator and the customer.

The general terms of sale are outlined below. This list, however, is indicative and not exhaustive. Each operator will provide an overview of their own terms of sale. If you require supplementary information, please contact the specific operator directly.

Registration

You may register for activities by booking via www.visitsvalbard.com, contacting the operator directly or at other sales outlet (hotel reception or travel agent, etc.).

Terms of payment

For activities limited to one day, the full amount is payable at the time of booking.

Terms of cancellation

Any cancellations must be made directly to the operator from whom the activity was purchased. Such cancellations must be in writing. Visit Svalbard AS cannot make cancellations under any circumstances.

Payments/bookings will not be refunded in case of cancelled flights or changes in flight plans to Svalbard. The operator cannot be held responsible for the potential loss of funds due to changes in currency exchange rates or transaction fees that apply in cases of funds being transferred internationally when a payment/booking is refunded.

The following cancellation fees apply:

- 22 days or more before the date of the activity: 5% of the amount paid

- 21 - 8 days before the date of the activity: 50% of the amount paid

- 7 days or less before the date of the activity: 100% of the amount paid

Responsibility

The individual operator is, without any exceptions, responsible for delivery of the service in its entirety.

The customer’s obligations

The customer is obliged to and responsible for, familiarising themselves with the terms of sale and participation for the particular activity with the operator, and to convey this information to other participants they have booked on behalf of. Furthermore, the customer and any other participants is obliged to follow any instructions given by the operator and/or its tour guides. The customer is also obliged to familiarise themselves with the current rules and regulations for travel to Norway and Svalbard.

The customer’s responsibilities

The customer and the other participants are responsible for assessing their physical and/or mental shape in relation to the content of the tour, preferably before booking the activity. It is not permitted for participants to bring privately owned weapons or pyrotechnic devices on the tours under any circumstances. The operator may not be held liable for any accidents and injuries that are beyond its control. The operator reserves the right to refuse participation in an activity in the event that the customer, and/or any other participants they have booked on behalf of, is regarded as a threat to their own safety or the safety of the other participants, or if the customer/participant behaves in such a way that he/she is a major nuisance to the other tour participants. If the tour is delayed, changed or cancelled due to one or more of the participants not following the operator’s instructions, the participant(s) concerned may be held financially liable for any additional costs incurred.

Insurance

The customer, and any other participants they have booked on behalf of, is recommended to take out travel insurance. Each customer/participant has a personal responsibility to ensure that such travel insurance has been taken out before participating in the activity. The individual operator is insured for liability through its insurance company. The operators have also provided the necessary security to the Governor of Svalbard. This covers expenses in connection with any rescue operations, among other things.

Changes to the itinerary / Unforeseen circumstances

The operator reserves the right to change departure times or cancel tours up until the scheduled starting time of the tour in the event of there being insufficient participants in relation to the minimum number specified in the brochure or the website. Likewise, the operator reserves the right to cancel tours up until the scheduled starting time due to weather and snow conditions, force majeure or other circumstances beyond the company’s control, which prevent the activity from being implemented in a safe manner.

In cases where it is necessary to make changes to the route/content of the activity due to unforeseen circumstances/weather conditions, this will not affect the price of the activity.