Greenland opens doors to tourists, raises environmental concerns
Greenland is working intensively to attract tourists from around the world. An international airport has already been opened in the capital, allowing for direct flights from Europe and North America.
7:13 AM EST, November 29, 2024
The investment in the city of Nuuk aims to develop mass tourism in this location. However, this raises significant concerns about the impact on the unique natural environment of the world's largest island.
Is Greenland the new hit for tourists?
A new runway, measuring about 1.4 miles, at the airport in Greenland's capital, welcomed the first Air Greenland plane from Copenhagen, carrying officials, including Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. The terminal, whose construction cost a staggering $800 million, can handle 800 passengers per hour.
Later this year, flights from two other Danish cities, as well as from Canada and the USA, are planned to be launched. Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, expressed hope that the airport will contribute to an increase in the number of tourists and the development of other sectors of the economy, positioning Greenland as an attractive travel destination.
Greenland attracts tourists primarily with its unspoiled and unique natural environment on a global scale. In 2023, the island was visited by over 130,000 people, marking a 46% increase compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ambitious plans
Additional airports in the cities of Ilulissat and Qaqortoq will be built by 2026. The Greenland government aims for tourism to account for 40% of export value by 2035, a sector currently reliant mainly on fishing. To achieve this goal, the number of tourists would need to double.
Regulations have been introduced to prevent earnings from being taken abroad by international networks. One requirement is that 65% of the shareholdings in companies belong to local entrepreneurs.
However, experts express concerns about whether the development of mass tourism could harm Greenland's nature, similar to what happened in Iceland. The increase in tourists led to infrastructure expansion at the expense of the environment. The media emphasize that Greenland, an autonomous territory dependent on Denmark, is becoming increasingly accessible due to climate change and glacier melting.
