At Norway's Newest Island Retreat, Redefining the Relationship Between Community and Tourism

Traveling to Ytri Island Retreat—which bills itself as “Norway’s most remote island retreat,” and is a 112-mile journey by ferry from the northern coastal city of Bodø—is no small feat. It’s perched on Husøya, one of the 477 islands of the Træna archipelago enfolded by blueberry seas—no wonder that its name means “outer point.” But despite the sobering distance and tales of ferocious winter storms that have been known to blow whole buildings into the sea, I find not so much a rugged, isolated hideaway as a smart, well-oiled operation anchored in its community. The concept of a luxury hotel was mooted by the locals a decade ago when, facing a hollowing-out of the regional fishing industry, the municipality and local development company Træna 365 gathered to brainstorm alternative futures for the archipelago. After six years of planning, investors Asle Helgheim and Ellen Hestenes—keen sailors with an existing Swedish spa hotel—came on board. Since Ytri Island Retreat opened in April, Træna’s population has increased by almost two percent—a sign that the project’s vision of social sustainability is already bedding in. I arrive a few days out from the s