Swedish company Birka Cruises to shut down after 49 years
Ferry company Birka Cruises is closing down permanently, following a huge hit to its business as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 509 employees are affected by the company’s closure, 43 of whom are employed at the head office in Stockholm, while the rest work aboard the ship Birka Stockholm, which usually sails between Stockholm and Mariehamn on the Åland Islands.
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Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Scrapped 2020 cruise season will cost communities in Nunavut, Canada almost $1 million, Eye On The Arctic
Finland: Jump in, the water’s (mostly) fine in Finland, study finds, Yle News
Iceland: Iceland and Greenland implement COVID-19 testing for travellers, Eye On The Arctic
Norway: Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten reframes 500-guests ships for year-round expedition cruises, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: All Russia’s North Pole cruises rescheduled to 2021, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Government grants 150 million for fast-chargers in remote northern Sweden, Radio Sweden
United States: ‘A little frustrating’: Northwest Canada tours, Alaska cruises cancelled this year, CBC News
