It follows the FIS Council’s approval of the Cross-Country Committee’s proposal during a meeting in Slovenian town Portorož.

Highlights of the calendar include the new individual and team sprint competitions in German city Dresden on January 13 and 14, 2018.

In addition, the new Nordic Centre in Slovenian valley Planica will host sprint and distance World Cup competitions on January 20 and 21. 

The season is due to begin with a three-day meet in Rukatunturi in Finland from November 24 to 26.

Swedish city Falun is scheduled to host the World Cup Final from March 16 to 18.

The full calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

Drafts for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns have also been released and can be found here.

Among the other proposals approved in Portorož was the modification of the team sprint qualification criteria for finals.

Starting in the 2017-18 season, the two best teams from each small final will qualify for the final.

Furthermore, the six fastest teams by time will receive a spot in the team sprint final.

A change in the starting quota in stage events was also approved.

Going forward, the top 20 athletes in the sprint World Cup standings at any given time can start, along with the normal quota.

Additionally, the Cross-Country Committee continued discussions about the future of the sport and its strategy.

An expert working group, including FIS staff and television and marketing experts, was established to analyse the FIS Cross-Country competition formats and work out suggestions to be put forward at the upcoming FIS Technical Committee meetings in Swiss city Zurich.

Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Heidi Weng topped the respective men's and women's overall standings in the 2016-17 FIS Cross-Country World Cup.