Polar trips to continue despite fatal bear attack

A Saudi-based travel company said it will continue to carry out polar trips to the remote Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, despite a fatal polar bear attack there last week which saw a British schoolboy mauled to death.

Al Tayyar Travel & Tourism has been marketing the Arctic adventures to Gulf travellers since last year, in partnership with one of India's largest tour companies; Interserve. The polar trips - cost around US $11,000 (AED 40,000) for a two-week "once-in-a-lifetime"  journey into the Arctic for an up-close-and-personal encounter with the polar bears. Clients sign up to experience daily ice treks and a chance to spend a night sleeping outside on the ice.

But despite 17-year-old Horatio Chapple being killed in a polar bear attack last week when taking part in an expedition to the area; K C Chandrahasan, managing director, Interserve insisted that the trips would continue; and added that no clients had pulled out.

"None of our operations are halted. Neither are there any cancellations," he confirmed. 

"It might be a bit ironical, but such incidents confirm the genuineness of the expeditions. The safety procedures and personnel we have are outstanding and that contributes to the success of our trips."

Chandrahasan said the tragedy had occured due to "lax" security. ""Our guards are 10 out of 10 shooters from the Svalbard fireclub. They take the vantage positions and they do not allow anyone to walk in front of the first guide or  behind the last one.

"It is unfortunate the the security taken by the students group was lax."