Greenland braces for wave of tourism on increased interest in Arctic island

Recent geopolitical attention to Greenland is fueling interest in tourism to the icy Arctic island, highlighting an urgent need for hotels, transportation links, and other infrastructure to accommodate an anticipated wave of visitors, officials say.

United Airlines plans to begin a direct service between New York Newark Liberty International Airport and Nuuk in Greenland in June, and more flights are being added between the territory’s capital city and Europe by other carriers. Yet local tourism officials say existing infrastructure is insufficient  to support an influx of visitors.

Jacob Nitter Sørensen, CEO of Air Greenland, says his airline has enough capacity to handle the growing number of tourists who want to visit, but the big issue is the lack of capacity on the ground.

“We are seeing an increase in bookings at the moment, which is positive,” he said in an interview. “[But] there are way too many flights coming into Nuuk in the summer of 2025 compared to the capacity available.”

Greenland unexpectedly attracted global attention after U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to make the autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark part of the U.S., and his son, Donald Trump, Jr., subsequently visited.

Officials in Greenland have repeatedly said that the island isn’t for sale, and that its 56,000 inhabitants don’t want to become part of the U.S. Trump isn’t the first American president to express interest in gaining control of the territory, but his repeated calls to acquire it and his refusal to rule out “military or economic coercion” have drawn intense global scrutiny.

Anne Nivika, CEO of Visit Greenland, said she is cautiously optimistic about the impact this attention is having on tourism.

“President Trump’s comments have generated interest in Greenland, which has been a double-edged sword,” she said. “While they have raised awareness, we aim to ensure that the narrative around Greenland and tourism is centered on its culture, nature, and values.”

Greenland needs more sustainable tourism infrastructure, especially the number of hotel rooms and accommodations that meet the standards of American travelers, Nivika said. Other key areas of focus include transportation networks and visitor facilities.

Visit Greenland is working closely with United Airlines to help passengers navigate the relatively undeveloped Arctic destination once they arrive. The government-owned travel site anticipates a gradual increase in visitor numbers and is closely monitoring tourist arrivals to ensure sustainable growth that aligns with Greenland’s capacity and values.

“This partnership aims to highlight the opportunities [in Greenland] beyond Nuuk, including the promotion of lesser-known destinations,” Nivika said. “Investments in micro-infrastructure, such as improved local transportation, visitor facilities, and services, are already underway. The timeline and funding for these ongoing developments depend on government budgets, public-private partnerships, and international support.”

Air Greenland’s Sørensen said improvement is needed and is optimistic that it will follow the tourists.

“Hopefully the interest and demand will speed up investments in hotels,” he said. “Ihe standard at some of the hotels is ok for now, but with more U.S. tourists coming in, we will most likely see an increase in the hotel standard and service requirements.”

For now, the paucity of hotels – regardless of their quality – is the biggest problem, Sørensen said.

“Ilulissat [Greenland’s third-largest city] is more or less sold out for the summer of 2025 and Nuuk is getting there,” he said “The number of flights coming in does in no way match the available [hotel room] capacity.”

Nuuk has just over 550 hotel rooms in total, according to a report in Tovima.com, which cited government documents. An analysis published by Visit Greenland predicts there could be a shortage beginning in 2027.

“The risk is that this will spark a price war, which will have a negative impact on Air Greenland’s earnings,” Air Greenland’s Sørensen said, “These losses can only be covered by the local travelers in the off-season, which would be a very unfortunate situation. So, I am worried about the massive increase in flight capacity in the short term.”.

The increase in flights to Greenland follows an expansion of Nuuk’s airport and an additional runway added late last year.

United Airline’s twice-weekly four-hour direct flights from Newark to Nuuk will start on June 14, continuing through Sept. 24. The flights will be operated with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which carry 166 passengers –  including 16 seats in United Premium Plus, 54 in Economy Plus and 96 in economy.Juli

“Nuuk is the gateway to Greenland, a destination known for its wide variety of unique Arctic adventures,” a United Airlines spokesperson said. “By providing a direct link to this destination that has been historically harder to reach via air travel, we believe Greenland has the potential to become a top-trending destination for those looking to travel off the beaten path.

“The expansion of the runway and the opening of an international terminal in Nuuk this past November were essential milestones in developing this route for United,” they said.

The impending direct flights to Greenland from the U.S. has increased awareness of the island as a tourist destination, beyond the usual adventure tourists who already frequent it and other Arctic locations. Air Greenland, which is in discussions with United Airlines about taking its passengers onward once they arrive at Nuuk, expects a 10% increase in international passengers to Greenland in 2025 and fewer domestic travelers.

Air Greenland and Visit Greenland both anticipate a diversification of visitors, though mostly tourists. Adventure tourist interest is likely to remain strong, with more business travelers and family visitors expected to arrive this year.

The United Airline spokesperson said the airline, ranked the world’s largest by fleet size and destinations, expects passengers to include both leisure and business travelers. Tourism from the U.S. is likely to increase as Americans become more acquainted with the region. They declined to comment on the impact Trump’s attention to Greenland might have on its bookings.

“We don’t have anything to add regarding the incoming administration,” the spokesperson said.

Juliana Wheeler is a U.S.-based communications consultant and freelance journalist who regularly contributes to Arctic Today.