With tourism boost, Greenland faces infrastructure problems

Friday, October 18, 2019

Kayaking past blue-white icebergs drifting along near a pristine harbour, traveling around colourful houses or trekking in the snow-capped wilderness – July and August are high season for tourists in eastern Greenland.

Many of the 85,000 tourists who visit each year go to the west coast, but eastern Greenland, with its glaciers, wilderness and wildlife with whales and polar bears, is also attracting visitors.

Sarah Bovet, a 29-year-old Swiss artist said, “Thinking you’re going to be surprised, you are even more so in reality.” Bovet was on an artistic residency in Greenland when she visited Kulusuk and its 250 souls.

Although she had imagined a small village before her visit, its stunning views and bright colors captured her.

With just one supermarket, an airport built in the 1950s by the US military to serve a Cold War radar base, and a harbor surrounded by brightly painted wooden houses, most of the villagers are grateful for the extra revenue earned from tourism.

Many of them take tourists out on sled tours in March and April, which are high seasons, and this helps them earn money to feed and care for the dogs that they use for racing and hunting.

Tourists also take boat trips during the summer high season from July to August.

Arrivals to the island grew 10 percent year-on-year from 2014 to 2017, and three percent in 2018, according to the tourist board, Visit Greenland.

Many adventure seekers and nature lovers come by plane, but cruise ships also bring in admirers.

However, growth in tourism could put a strain on Greenland’s infrastructure, and the tourism sector faces unique challenges due to Greenland’s location, weather and the cost of travelling there.

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