Over the past few years, Greenland has emerged as one of travel’s most exciting destinations, with an international airport less than two years old, improved and growing connectivity, and a wider variety of tours.
But like many destinations today, the island is now facing the “Trump effect” on tourism.
Anne Nivíka Grødem, CEO of Visit Greenland, has confirmed the self-governning Danish territory has seen a “small number of cancellations” linked to Trump’s ambitions to take over the self-governing Danish territory. She hopes that won’t grow.
But now, as Trump attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (underway through 23JAN), his threats to pursue ownership “the easy way” or “the hard way” have intensified. He leaked texts from world leaders and, on Truth Social this morning (20JAN), wrote: “There can be no going back.”
He also shared an AI-generated image showing Greenland and Canada under the American flag.
“Some travellers are uncertain about how to interpret the broader political context, even though Greenland remains a welcoming and safe destination,” Grødem told Skift. “At the same time, it is too early to draw conclusions about any long-term impact on overall demand.”
She did not comment on whether travel companies are reassessing partnerships but said no airlines or tour operators have announced changes to their Greenland plans so far.
Because of its intense winter weather, Greenland’s tourism sector is in low season.
But starting in spring, Air Greenland, in partnership with Canadian North, will offer same-day connections from Ottawa and Montreal to Nuuk via Iqaluit on Wednesdays from 02APR too 22OCT. The route first launched as a pilot in June 2024, reviving a service that had been cancelled in 2012.
In June 2025, United Airlines launched seasonal flights from Newark to Nuuk, marking the first US service to Greenland in nearly two decades. Nuuk’s international airport completed a major expansion in late 2024, opening a 2,200‑meter runway capable of accommodating larger jets for the first time; prior to that, the airport’s much shorter runway limited operations to small turboprop aircraft.
Tour operators also doubled down on Greenland last year. Canadian travel company Goway launched a dedicated Greenland product line, while Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours added a 17-day Expeditions Voyage to Greenland to its 2027–28 collection.
Carnival also has one cruise to Greenland this summer: a 14-day Greenland & Canada voyage from Baltimore aboard the Carnival Pride, which is already sold out.
Meanwhile, Intrepid Travel reported that clicks to its Greenland trips shot up 94% this spring, as Google searches for “Greenland travel” surged following Trump’s revived ambitions to stake a claim to the island.
Grødem said she hopes the increased global attention will continue to benefit Greenland’s tourism sector.
“More people around the world now know about Greenland and have, perhaps for the first time, seen its landscapes, nature, and way of life,” she said. “That awareness provides an opportunity to invite travellers to experience Greenland for themselves, beyond the headlines.”
Figures for 2025 have not yet been released, but in 2024, tourism in Greenland directly generated about CA$270 million in economic value and accounted for roughly 5% of the country’s GDP, according to Visit Greenland’s website for the travel trade.
About 149,000 international tourists visited the island, with roughly 54,000 arriving by air and the rest by cruise ship.
To diversify an economy still heavily dependent on fishing, the government has set ambitious targets for the sector. By 2035, it aims for tourism to account for 40% of Greenland’s export value, double visitor numbers, and increase revenue per tourist, according to Visit Greenland.