New airport in Nuuk: Gateway to tourists or environmental risk?
A new international airport has opened in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, to attract tourists from Europe and North America. However, the investment raises concerns about its impact on the island's unique natural environment.
A new international airport has opened in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, which is expected to become a key component in the island's tourism development. This investment, valued at £665 million, is set to enable direct flights from Europe and North America, which is anticipated to attract more tourists.
According to the Polish Press Agency, the first plane to land on the new runway, which is approximately 2,250 metres long, arrived from Copenhagen, carrying officials, including Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
The new airport in Nuuk is designed to accommodate 800 people per hour. Flights to Canada and the USA are expected to commence next year. Jens Lauridsen, President of Greenland's Airports, emphasises that this project is intended to increase tourist numbers and develop other sectors of the economy.
Greenland attracts visitors with its pristine natural environment. In 2023 alone, over 130,000 tourists visited. Compared to 2019, this represents an increase of 46 per cent. The government of Greenland aims for tourism to account for 40 per cent of export value by 2035, currently dominated by fishing. To achieve this, it is necessary to double the number of tourists visiting the region.
Tourism development a threat to Greenland
Investments in tourism, however, raise concerns among experts. They point to Iceland as an example, where an increase in tourist numbers led to infrastructure expansion, unfortunately at the expense of nature.
Will tourism in Greenland go overboard like it did in Iceland? - asks Prof. Carina Ren from Aalborg University, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency.
Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, is becoming more accessible due to climate change and melting glaciers. The government has introduced regulations to prevent the export of tourism profits abroad, requiring that 65 per cent of shares in tourism companies be owned by local residents. This is intended to ensure that the benefits of tourism development remain on the island.
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