Based on this year’s cruise season, the National Tourism Board of Greenland has decided to launch an initiative that, in collaboration with the industry, will result in recommendations for developing cruise tourism in Greenland.
“There are many different opinions about cruise tourism, and we at Visit Greenland fully acknowledge the different perspectives. We want to understand the local challenges and potentials better, which is why we are launching an inclusive process in collaboration with the Greenlandic cruise operators, the authorities, the local tourism and business councils and other stakeholders.” Anne Nivíka Grødem, CEO of Visit Greenland, explains.
With the “Towards more tourism – 2021-2024” strategy, a strategic decision has been taken not to support the development of conventional cruise tourism in Greenland. Studies show that this type of tourism does not contribute to sustainable development. In practice, this means that Visit Greenland does not use resources on marketing to this segment, nor does it participate in trade fairs or other international activities that focus on conventional cruise tourism.
However, Greenland is a popular cruise destination and saw a record number of calls in its ports this summer, which proved challenging in many places, including on the streets, in health centres and the countryside.
“It’s important to approach the area from a local perspective, which is why we are prioritising facilitating a cross-disciplinary dialogue to learn more about what sustainable development of cruise tourism can look like in Greenland. The initiative will result in several recommendations that will contribute to drafting future tourism law,” says Anne Nivíka.
Visit Greenland also wants the initiative to help strengthen collaboration with industry stakeholders, as it is a crucial cornerstone in developing the area to consider the industry’s needs while simultaneously requiring cruise tourism to contribute positively to Greenland.
Interested parties, or operators considering entering the cruise industry are very welcome to contact Visit Greenland, as they wish to identify as many perspectives as possible.
Contact: Anne Nivíka Grødem, Mobile (+299) 560282, nivika@visitgreenland.com
For study input:
External Project Manager, Stine Selmer Andersen, Mobile (+299) 586271, stine@visitgreenland.com
FACTS: Conventional cruise vs Expedition cruise
The “Cruise Study Svalbard” (2019) report examines the economic benefits of the cruise industry in the local community of Svalbard. Although the report was not conducted in Greenland, the similarity between the destination of Svalbard and many Greenlandic destinations may allow it to provide some indicators of consumption patterns among cruise visitors, especially since several of the shipping companies that operate in the report also operate in Greenland.
The report shows:
• Conventional cruises in the Arctic are typically larger, have multiple destinations on a single voyage and are not members of The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), which imposes strict requirements on its members’ operations.
• Expedition cruises in the Arctic are typically under 500 passengers, have fewer destinations and are members of AECO.
• Tourist spending locally is 5.2 times higher on an expedition cruise than on a conventional cruise.
• In 2018, Svalbard had approximately 62,300 cruise guests, of which 72.4% were guests from conventional ships, while 27.6% of guests were from an expedition ship.
• In total, they contributed NOK 109.5 million to Svalbard, and of the NOK 109.5 million, 66.7% came from expedition cruises and 33.3% from conventional cruises.
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