Donald Trump reiterated his curiosity in controlling Greenland whereas signing govt orders final week. This has led to elevated curiosity within the territory, which had already been actively growing its tourism business. However can the territory deal with its projected tourism growth?
“Heightened worldwide consideration can have each constructive and unfavorable results,” Anne Nivíka Grødem, CEO of Go to Greenland, instructed Skift.
“On one hand, it raises Greenland’s profile globally,” she stated. Go to Greenland has noticed elevated curiosity in its digital platforms as media protection elevated. However, there was a threat of misinformation or “inaccurate portrayals of Greenland.”
Go to Greenland doesn’t touch upon political issues however “stays centered” on presenting Greenland as a gorgeous vacation spot with “distinctive cultural and pure experiences,” Grødem stated.
The territory attracts vacationers due to its landscapes, northern lights, and places just like the Narsarsuaq Botanical Backyard.
There has already been an enormous leap in vacationers visiting the nation lately, in line with Go to Greenland.
2023 was “the perfect yr for tourism Greenland ever,” it stated in a latest report.
The report confirmed Greenland had its highest variety of cruise passengers ever that yr — reaching 76,477 — 64% extra particular person cruise passengers than the earlier finest yr (2019). What’s extra, 2023 additionally noticed roughly 9% extra land-based vacationers in Greenland, year-over-year.
However whereas a few of the territory’s infrastructure is enhancing, there stays a scarcity of rooms and different services throughout peak seasons.
Greenland’s Airline and Airport Progress
A brand new airport was opened close to the capital, Nuuk, in November 2024 to accommodate long-haul flights, which beforehand needed to land at a former army base.
A second worldwide airport is because of open in Ilulissat by 2026, adopted by a brand new regional airport in Qaqartoq.
In 2024, two airways, Air Greenland and Icelandair, function scheduled flights. The busiest route was to Copenhagen.
This summer season, United and SAS can even enter the market.
Beginning in June, SAS will provide direct flights from Copenhagen to Nuuk. “This new route meets the rising demand for distinctive, adventurous journey experiences whereas reinforcing Copenhagen’s place as a key hub for Scandinavian connections worldwide,” Anko van der Werff, CEO of SAS, stated in a press release.
United Airways managing director for worldwide gross sales, Marcel Fuchs, stated the airline was “excited to announce our first-ever nonstop service between Greenland and the U.S.,” with the flight going between Nuuk Airport and its hub at New York/Newark, beginning in June.
It will likely be the primary and solely U.S. airline to supply direct flights between Greenland and the U.S.
For the height summer season quarter this yr, between July and September, scheduled worldwide airline seats to Greenland will probably be up 55%, Cirium Diio.
Given elevated air capability, tour operators are responding. One instance: Intrepid Journey is debuting a 10-day Greenland tour this summer season.
Challenges to Watch
Greenland’s tourism leaders will face the challenges that include the elevated customer numbers.
“The airports are a recreation changer for Greenland. They open up monumental alternatives for growth and development,” a spokesperson for Greenland Airports instructed Skift.
But when Greenland is to facilitate a bigger growth in tourism, there’s “a fantastic have to spend money on all the pieces that helps tourism: lodges, eating places, experiences, adventures,” Greenland Airport’s spokesperson stated.
“Not solely in Nuuk and Ilulissat however in all of Greenland, that is important,” he stated.
For a number of years, there have “already been conditions throughout the peak summer season season the place demand has exceeded provide,” for each lodging and eating choices, Go to Greenland’s 2023 report stated.
Now, with considerably elevated flights from overseas, there’ll possible be a “important scarcity” of lodge rooms.
Go to Greenland’s evaluation assessments confirmed that there has already been a scarcity of rooms in Ilulissat since 2026, particularly in July and August.
Talking to Euro Weekly Information, Taatsi Fleischer, a spokesman for Arctic Circle Enterprise, which helps enterprise homeowners in Greenland’s western areas, stated “all the infrastructure must be in place” earlier than a tourism growth, “and that’s not one thing that may occur in a day.”
Elevated tourism may pose challenges to Greenland’s fragile atmosphere. It is within the Arctic, and lots of elements of it are at a excessive elevation above sea degree, the place the consequences of worldwide warming are extra pronounced.
