Magnificent nature and the majestic Russell Glacier create the frame for the sustainable answer to Formula 1, Extreme E, which will be held in Kangerlussuaq in August. Extreme E, a worldwide rally race with electric cars driven by Formula 1 drivers, aims to create international awareness about climate change and sustainability. For one week, Kangerlussuaq and Greenland will be the hosts for an event that attracts huge international press and attention. Among other things, it is estimated that the event will receive over 26 million video views – that’s three times as many views as this year’s Golden Globes. The opportunities for marketing and promotion that this event brings with it have not been seen before in Greenland’s history.
Therefore, Visit Greenland has partnered with Destination Arctic Circle, and together they have been acting as the Greenlandic team for dissemination of the event since July 2020.
Press from the world’s major news agencies will travel to Kangerlussuaq to attend and report about the event. This creates opportunities to build upon relationships with international journalists who would like to report the possibilities in Greenland to the rest of the world now, and hopefully in the future, says Hjortur Smarason, Managing Director at Visit Greenland.
Between Visit Greenland and Destination Arctic Circle, work is underway to use the Extreme E event as a springboard to put Kangerlussuaq, and thus also Greenland, on the map as a sustainable nation, a sought-after destination for adventure and research tourism, as well as a hub for the development of cutting-edge technology. This will be done by capturing material for Arctic Circle Business and Visit Greenland’s online platforms, as well as by advising the world-leading media agencies and providing them with promotional material.
Kangerlussuaq has for many years been used as a research destination, in connection with climate change, among other things. Furthermore, the inland ice has also been used as a test centre for several car companies throughout the years. By telling these stories, it is hoped that Extreme E will attract to the country both researchers and investors, who have an interest in developing and testing new technology focused on the green transition.
Furthermore, Kangerlussuaq’s captivating nature makes the town an obvious destination for adventure tourism, which, worldwide, is a 586 billion US dollar industry. This is something that both Visit Greenland and Destination Arctic Circle have a strong focus on. The event will help to create an even stronger brand for tourism in Greenland and to attract more tourists.
It is very important to us that the event and its branding takes place in a way that will benefit the locals as much as possible. As a result, we only use local tourism operators and companies in our storytelling, says Jesper Schrøder, Director at Arctic Circle Business.
A successful mega-event like this will demonstrate that Greenland can hold similar events in the future, and will help to create future investments, future visits and general growth in Greenland.
Jesper Schrøder – for general inquiries
Director – Destination Arctic Circle
Phone: +299 86 35 00
Email: jesper@acb.gl
Hjörtur Smarason
Managing Director – Visit Greenland
Mobile: +45 22 80 14 16 / +299 27 99 98
Email: hjortur@visitgreenland.com
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