Adventure Segments
Explore how the mapping and segmentation of tourists in Greenland are connected.
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Adventure travel is driven by the desire to offer quality experiences based in local communities and a set of core values that help protect and develop the environment, the natural surroundings and culture in a sustainable way.
Adventure travel operators that have local knowledge and a strong network will also have a natural advantage in their home patch.
This is because successful entrepreneurs in adventure travel often know how to combine the art of running a business and passion with local knowledge and experience.
Travellodge Greenland’s founder, Lars Anker Møller, worked for years as a hunter in Tasiilaq, before he decided to use his experience to set up and run a tour company.
The business is enjoying steady growth in eastern Greenland and offers, for example, dog sledding, hiking, photo tours, ice diving, ski tours and expedition support.
“Our business is mainly built on local resources,” says Lars. “The people I now work with are those I knew from when I was working as a hunter. The fact that we can use local people to drive dog sleds, manage the logistics, open their doors to visitors, put on drum dances, etc., is what makes our product offering good.”
Adventure travel in Greenland will always face the challenges of a difficult climate and long distances. For example, it is difficult to put in place a transport infrastructure that is both 100% sustainable and profitable.
However, for Travellodge, there are many ways in which one can look after the environment and the natural world.
“First and foremost, we always ensure that everything we take on a tour comes back home. In other words, we do not leave any rubbish in the great outdoors. We also designate specific toilet stops on our trips, so that we do not leave this type of detritus everywhere we go. However, we do not build toilets in all camps because we feel that this would spoil a pristine landscape.”
“We are also determined to ensure that all the partners and agents we work with have an eco-friendly profile. Some of them are WWF members and advertise this on their websites. This tells us that we are dealing with an operator who thinks sustainably.”
There is more to adventure tourism than active experiences and care for the natural environment. Travellodge also promotes a scheme that is unique in Greenland.
Given that educational opportunities are difficult to access for local hunters with an annual income of under DKK 100,000, Lars Anker has set about upgrading the safety and navigation qualifications for a number of local hunters.
“We have to understand that many of those who now work in tourism are still active hunters. In these occupations, they have to combine their income from various sources, but this can be difficult to achieve without the right training and qualifications.”
“We therefore started working with Sermersooq Business Council and Greenland’s Employers’ Confederation to offer free training to a number of fishermen and hunters – and not just to our own boatmen – so that they can get the latest knowledge and qualifications they need.”
“You might ask why we do it for others, but we see it as an investment in the development of the local community. Education opens doors for more people in tourism and fishing. It also helps the economy in eastern Greenland and benefits Travellodge Greenland directly”.
For Lars Anker, the company’s growth and its sense of social responsibility are closely connected. Lars Anker also offers his employees English lessons. The carrot for taking the language course is a wage rise.
“In Tasiilaq, people do not go to work to earn money. They work because they like it and because it’s fun. The challenge for employers is to create a working environment that is enjoyable and exciting and to ensure that their business is profitable. If we are not able to do that, people will just go back to working as hunters.”
– Lars Anker
Explore how the mapping and segmentation of tourists in Greenland are connected.
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What is Adventure Travel in Greenland? How Visit Greenland works with it?
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What is Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) network and how does it work?
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Framework conditions as a tool for enhancing value. What are the building blocks for adventure tourism?
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Human resources and adventure. Professional guides are one of a tour operator’s main assets.
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Shared responsibility throughout the supply chain. Read how important the Partnership between companies is in a supply chain.
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