by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 1:45 PM ET, Tue May 20, 2025
HX Expeditions is launching a new shore excursion program in Arctic Canada developed in partnership with Inuit elders, local residents and community-born staff.
The pioneering new program will debut this summer on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Roald Amundsen. Excursions will be offered in Gjøa Haven, Pond Inlet and Cambridge Bay in the eastern Canadian Arctic.
Mariah Erkloo, an HX product planner and Inuk who was born and raised in Pond Inlet, was instrumental in developing the new experiences.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what’s needed in Arctic tourism,” says Erkloo. “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.”
Each excursion will be capped at 10 to 12 guests and will provide opportunities for guests to create meaningful personal connections with local residents. Activities will range from guided hikes to local landmarks with Inuit storytelling to participating in the lighting of the traditional Qilliq and learning its cultural significance.
Guess will also have a chance to engage in “Arctic Conversations,” or small-group discussions with community members about life in the North Arctic; visit summer cabins to learn how Inuit continue to live off the land; participate in collaborative art-making sessions using techniques and materials unique to each region; and join community events like bingo, card games or demonstrations of Arctic sports, among other experiences.
“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,” says Alex McNeil, chief expedition officer for HX. “We are not just visitors; we are partners.”
HX will not take any margin from these excursions in their first phase—100 percent of the revenue will go directly to individuals, artists and businesses in Nunavut.
McNeil adds: “This is just the beginning. We believe the future of exploration lies in collaboration—with the people who have called these regions home for generations.”
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