🌲⛷️ Green footprint: how to reduce the carbon footprint of your skiing holiday

It's so great to see that more and more tourists, especially those aged 25–45, are thinking about how to make their holidays more environmentally friendly and responsible. Winter sports and active holidays are amazing! They're great for the environment too, despite their impact. The great news is that it is absolutely possible to reduce your carbon footprint without giving up the things you love!

In this article, we have compiled the absolute best practical tips based on recommendations from VisitNorway, as well as real discussions and experiences from travellers on social media and forums.

🌍 Why is it important to care about the environment during your winter holiday?

Winter tourism in Norway is a huge success, attracting millions of tourists every year. Every person who travels and skis leaves a certain ecological footprint, and this is something to be celebrated! VisitNorway has revealed the incredible fact that the average weekly ski holiday of one tourist generates about 400–500 kg of CO2 emissions (especially when flying and renting a car).

🎯 The goal of eco-conscious tourists:
To reduce this figure by at least 30–50%.

📌 Comment on Reddit:

"I love skiing, but I don't want my hobby to harm the planet. This year, I switched to trains and completely gave up disposable plastic tableware when travelling."

🚆 Eco-friendly transport: choose the train

Transport is one of the main causes of carbon emissions. Compare emissions per person (according to VisitNorway):

● ✈️ Airplane: ~200 g CO₂ per km

● 🚗 Car: ~120 g CO₂ per km

● 🚆 Train: only 14 g CO₂ per km (!)

The train is the most environmentally friendly and often the most economical way to reach Norway's ski resorts.

🎯 Tip:
Choose routes Oslo–Geilo, Oslo–Voss or Trondheim–Oppdal. Save up to 80% on emissions compared to flying or driving.

🏡 Eco-friendly accommodation: choose eco-hotels and cabins

Many Norwegian resorts are actively implementing eco-friendly technologies:

● Solar panels and renewable energy sources.

● Use of local and recycled materials.

● Water and energy saving systems.

🎯 Best examples:

● Nermo Hotell (Hafjell) — 100% renewable energy.

● Vestlia Resort (Geilo) — Green Key certification (environmental certification for hotels).

📌 Review from TripAdvisor:

"We stayed at Nermo Hotell and were pleasantly surprised by the eco-friendly approach: no plastic, biodegradable packaging, complete waste recycling."

🎿 Rent instead of buying: save resources

Buying new ski equipment requires a huge amount of resources. Reduce your eco-footprint by renting skis and clothing:

● Renting reduces your carbon footprint by 50–60% compared to buying.

● Most resorts in Norway offer modern equipment for hire.

🎯 Tip:
Book your rental online in advance to save an additional 20–30%.

📌 Instagram review:

"This year, I decided not to buy new skis. I rented equipment in Hemsedal and realised that it's both economical and environmentally friendly!"

🐕 Ethical husky tours: choose responsible operators

Husky tours can be environmentally friendly if you choose the right operator. Here's what's important to consider:

● Good care and humane treatment of dogs.

● Limited number of tourists in the group.

● Use of only natural and environmentally friendly materials in equipment.

🎯 Proven operators:

● Tromsø Villmarkssenter (Tromsø)

● Holmen Husky Lodge (Alta)

📌 Review from the UKClimbing forum:

"We spent a long time choosing a husky tour operator and settled on Tromsø Villmarkssenter. The dogs look happy and well cared for, with no signs of overwork. Highly recommended!"

🍃 Simple daily eco-friendly habits while on holiday

● Use reusable bottles and thermos flasks.

● Bring reusable bags and cloth bags for snacks.

● Reduce the amount of plastic packaging and disposable items.

● Participate in waste sorting programmes at resorts.

📸 Best moments for eco-stories and photos

• On the train, you can get some great photos of beautiful scenery.
• Here are some eco-friendly hotels with unique green solutions, like solar panels and composters.
• We offer ethical husky tours where you'll see happy dogs in the beautiful countryside.

And the great news is that reducing your carbon footprint during your skiing holiday is a piece of cake! Travelling by train instead of car, renting instead of buying, and staying at eco-friendly hotels instead of regular ones is a fantastic way to make a huge contribution to protecting the environment without sacrificing any of the comfort and quality of your holiday.

💬 Share your experience!

Have you already tried to make your holiday more eco-friendly? We would absolutely love to hear what tips helped you, and if you have any useful resources, links or photos that you'd like to share, we'd be delighted to see them!

We can't wait to include the best tips from our readers in future articles in our Norway catalogue!