Greenland is bracing for an influx of tourists after Donald Trump indicated he wants to takeover the island in a bid for military dominance of the Arctic. US tourist bookings have increased since the American president announced that he planned to buy Greenland, according to tourism groups. Visit Greenland, the national tourism board, said while Trump’s intervention had provoked a backlash from Denmark and the European Union, it had also put the island on the map for many Americans who would otherwise never have considered it as a holiday destination.
Tanny Por, of Visit Greenland, said it was surveying local operators to determine how far the so-called Trump bump had already translated into firm bookings, reports The Telegraph. Speaking at a trade show on Arctic tourism in Reykjavík, Iceland, she said: “We are hoping that we will be able to use some of the attention to get more guests to Greenland. The world’s eyes are on us.”. President Trump wrote on Truth Social in December: “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”.
An increase in tourism was anticipated before Trump's comments on Greenland, as the country opened a new airport in December that allows widebody jets to land in Nuuk, the island's capital, for the first time. United Airlines will commence direct commercial flights from the US to Greenland in June 2025, operating twice a week from Newark Liberty International Airport during the summer months. Ms Por commented that the arrival of one of the world’s largest airlines would be “huge and symbolically historic,” and could encourage other major carriers to fly to the island also. However, she added that while data revealed that Greenlanders had a positive view of opening up the spot to tourism, the process must be sustainable and managed to ensure "that tourists go where locals would like them to go”.
A second new airport, capable of taking larger planes, is also set to open next year in Ilulissat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is around 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The area is especially well known for its incredible views of icebergs and the Jacobshavn Glacier. In addition, the Scandinavian carrier SAS, will resume flights to Greenland after more than 20 years. Icelandair, which serves four destinations in Greenland via its hub in Reykjavik, also shared that Trump's comments about Greenland had had a positive impact on bookings.
Tómas Ingason, the carrier’s chief commercial officer, told The Telegraph: “It has definitely piqued interest in Greenland. People when they read about Greenland, they start researching it, figuring out how to get there.”. He added that there were concerns about the ability of Greenland’s tourist infrastructure to absorb a rapid increase in visitors, especially with direct flights from America starting in the summer. Mr Ingason added: “It’s not enough to just put down a runway there. You need the hotels. So the thing is to grow capacity in line with the infrastructure.”.
