How to be a good guest in Greenland: Locals share their dos and don’ts
Greenland has been seeing a significant tourism boom in recent years. With direct flights now available from the US and more travellers venturing north for a glimpse of life at the frontlines of climate change, the country is opening up to the world. But with this surge in tourist traffic comes a key question: how should guests behave?
In response, locals in Greenlandic towns have teamed up to set their own terms, or Community Specific Guidelines. These offer clear, practical advice on how to be a respectful visitor. Top tips include:
• Ask before taking photos
• Respect private spaces
• Tread lightly around cultural sites and wildlife
The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) has played a key role in facilitating this project, while ensuring that the direction comes from the communities themselves. In addition to sparking general discussions on tourism, the workshops in each Greenlandic town aimed to develop tailored guidelines that clearly reflect local voices.
Why local voices matter
Theses Community Specific Guidelines are not top-down rules, they’re created by the communities themselves, with AECO offering structure and support. Each town decides what’s important to them, from protecting cultural sites to sharing local customs respectfully. The model, first developed in 2017, has since been adopted across Greenland and beyond.
What sets this initiative apart is the strong local ownership. “Getting people together to talk about tourism, what’s welcome and what’s not, helps build understanding and creates real engagement,” says Gyda Gudmundsdottir, AECO’s head of Community Engagement.
Public perception of cruise tourism in Greenland has been largely positive in recent years. A 2023 survey by Visit Greenland found that nearly 80% of the population viewed cruise tourism favourably, recognising its contributions to local communities and its generally respectful approach to nature and culture.
However, these guidelines are not just for cruise passengers they apply to all visitors. And they’re designed to help guests connect with communities in a way that’s thoughtful, respectful and sustainable. The full set of community-specific guidelines can be found on AECO’s website here: Community and Research Station Guidelines.
New laws for a new era
To further guide the development of tourism, Greenland introduced a new national tourism law in December 2024. The legislation includes zoning measures to protect environmentally sensitive areas and requires that tourism businesses be majority locally owned. The law also reflects a wider commitment to ensuring that Greenland’s growing tourism industry remains sustainable, equitable, and in tune with local values.
This story is based on the article that was published on AECO’s website on June 10, 2022 entitled: Dos and Don’ts for Tourists in Greenlandic Communities.
