Tourism in Greenland is a relatively young business area of the country. Since the foundation of the national tourist council, Greenland Tourism, in 1992, the Home Rule Government has been working actively with promoting the destination and helping smaller tourist providers establish their services. Foreign travel agencies have increasingly been opening up sale of Greenland trips and tours, and the cruise industry has had a relatively large increase in routes to Greenland since about the turn of the century. The country has spectacular scenery and a few historic sites. The everyday life and local culture of Greenlanders is one of the main experiences for adventure travellers to Greenland. The main tourist activities on offer are sailing tours among icebergs, dog sledding tours, ice cap treks, wildlife spotting, iceberg watching, and hiking trips to the mainly Norse ruins.
Visit Greenland
Visit Greenland is the Greenland Self-Rule Government agency responsible for tourism in Greenland. The head office is in Nuuk Greenland. There is a subsidiary office in CopenhagenDenmark. Visit Greenland was established in 1992. Its original goal was to develop a sustainable tourism industry and market Greenland as a tourism destination. The role was subsequently expanded to include the development of industry and small businesses in Greenland. Visit Greenland in Nuuk focuses on facilitation and the Copenhagen office focuses on marketing. Visit Greenland has a collaboration with the Danish travel agency Greenland Travel, which is currently the largest tour operator and travel agency specializing in travels to Greenland.
Statistics
Most overnight visitors arriving to Greenland in 2016 were from the following countries of nationality:
Rank
Country
Number
1
Denmark
19,275
2
United States
2,767
3
Germany
2,440
4
Sweden
2,352
5
United Kingdom
1,595
6
Iceland
1,166
7
Norway
1,125
8
France
748
9
Canada
716
10
Japan
583
Greenland Self-Rule Government
In 2002 Greenland established five focus regions for the development of the tourism industry in Greenland. "Destination North Greenland" centered on Disko Bay, "Destination Arctic Circle" centered on Kangerlussuaq, "Destination Capital Region" centered on the capital Nuuk, "Destination South Greenland" centered on Qaqortoq, and "Destination East Greenland" in East Greenland with Tasiilaq as the main hub. The most popular tourist destination is Ilulissat Icefjord, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
