Travel group’s aurora adventures boost turnover significantly

Ouseburn-based, Aurora Zone, which says it is the only Northern Lights-focused travel brand in the UK, sent more than 3,000 guests to top aurora destinations Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden over last winter alone.

Amy Hope, Managing Director of The Artisan Travel Company, which operates Aurora Zone, said the solar cycle maximum occurring in 2025 and into 2026 had led to even more dramatic light displays with thousands of tourists signing up to see them again this winter.

“The sights we’ve seen in the UK have definitely whetted the appetite for people to see stronger displays abroad, ” said Amy.

“Around 80 per cent of our guests are from the UK but the global market is growing for us. Last year was a big year for the US and we see that increasing, along with parts of Asia. We want to see a turnover of £10m within the next three years.

The Artisan Travel Company employs 27 staff and turns over £7m – with Aurora Zone accounting for 95 per cent of the group’s turnover.

Part of the company’s success, says Amy, lies with the long term relationships with its suppliers and using expert support on some trips, such as a recent aurora hunting holiday where Dan Monk, Director of Astrophotography at Northumberland’s Kielder Observatory, accompanied guests to offer added knowledge, as well as tips on how best to photograph them.

Said Amy: “The feedback from having Dan there was fantastic. The local guides are excellent but the expert knowledge Dan and his colleague Matt had was the next level of insight. We’d love to do more escorted trips with Dan in the future.”

Dan said: “It was a real privilege to join the trip as an astronomy guide and share the wonder of the Northern Lights with such an enthusiastic group. Finland offers some of the best conditions in the world for aurora viewing, and being able to help guests understand the science behind the spectacle - while experiencing it together - was incredibly rewarding. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to gain greater experience of astronomical events too, so we can bring additional knowledge back and embed into our events.”

The Artisan Travel Company operates Aurora Zone and Activities Abroad, the latter of which was launched in 2002 by Ali McLean who’d returned from cycling around Europe and was looking for ways to make a living. Top of his list was ‘travel’ and ‘activity and adventure sports’ and after a degree in Travel and Tourism Management and experience working for two tour operating companies, he set up Activities Abroad.

What began as small, summer activity holidays, such as kayaking, soon developed into holidays in Lapland.

“Even if other travel companies went to Lapland, there were barely any photos showing the Northern Lights,” recalled Amy. “It was all huskies and snow mobiles so we started working on Aurora Zone, specifically to see the Northern Lights, and launched in the winter of 2012.

“It’s grown ever since and, because of our relationship with the hotels and local partners, they’ve grown too. We’re very particular with who we work with so we can guarantee the quality of what we’re offering.”

The aurora hunting trips are predominantly in Finland and other countries offer additional distinctive sightseeing opportunities, such as the Norwegian coastline, Fjords and whale watching and innovative ice hotels in Sweden.

“People come to us saying they want to see the Northern Lights then we guide them to other places they want to experience,” said Amy.

“I’ve been going out there for 16 years and I still get equally as excited when I do see them because it’s something that you can’t guarantee. I get such a thrill watching guests enjoy them and sharing the experience with them.”