Greenland sees tourism boost following Trump's attention and new airport

By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Tom Little

NUUK, Greenland (Reuters) - Ivik Knudssen-Ostermann, whose company runs boat tours to see Greenland's glittering blue icebergs, says his bank has told him to expand ahead of an expected influx of tourists after U.S. President Donald Trump put the island in the global spotlight.

Trump's comments, coupled with the opening of a new international airport in the capital Nuuk, have already boosted arrivals and more are expected.

"Already now, we are getting many more bookings than we have received earlier, especially because of a man with the last name of Trump. He has really put Greenland on the map once again," Knudsen-Ostermann, operator of Greenland Cruises, said, standing on the dock of an ice-packed harbour.

Greenland became the focus of international attention in January when Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., arrived at the newly opened Nuuk airport. 

Since then, the U.S. president has doubled down on his pledge to make the Arctic island part of the United States, as he eyes its vast wealth of rare earth minerals critical for high-tech industries.

Greenland is hoping new airports will bolster its tourism and mining industries to diversify the economy, which is currently reliant on fishing for 95% of its exports.

The country's vast ice sheet, glaciers, deep fjords and abundance of marine life, including whales, are the key attractions, while pride in the local Inuit culture is also growing.

The opening of the airport in Nuuk in November last year has made travel to the island easier. United Airlines is set to begin direct flights from New York to Nuuk in June, replacing the previous route which required tourists to fly via Copenhagen and transit at the former U.S. military base Kangerlussuaq. 

Ilulissat, Greenland's main tourist hub known for its UNESCO-listed ice fjord, is also due to open a new international airport in 2026, while another international airport is under construction in Qaqortoq in southern Greenland. 

"We will see quite a significant growth this summer already," said Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports.

While the bank is telling Knudsen-Ostermann to get more boats and more people, he says he is cautious.

"I want to see what the new airport brings us, what 2025 brings us. We don't know the future, so I'm holding back a little," he said.

Statistics Greenland reported a 14% year-on-year rise in the number of passengers on international flights to Greenland in January. The number of hotel nights has seen a steady increase over the past decade, with 355,000 recorded last year, up from 210,000 in 2014, it said.

Three-quarters of tourism operators reported an increase in bookings in the three months following the opening of Nuuk's new airport, according to Visit Greenland.

Lars Ipland, a Danish tourist in Nuuk, said Greenland was one of the last parts of the world he hadn't seen.

"It's a part of Denmark, so I thought I have to see it. Now with all the attention, you don't know what's happening next week or if it's another flag up here or whatever they decide to do." 

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Sharon Singleton)