High quality and challenges

When the new international airport in Ilulissat opens in the fall, the number of tourists is expected to increase dramatically.

That is why it is important to offer tourists high-quality service, says Jørgen Kristensen, co-owner of the Dogsled and Ice Academy in Ilulissat.

But he also says that due to the difficult transport conditions in isolated areas, the development of tourism is a major challenge.

High quality

In connection with the new airport in Ilulissat being put into operation later this fall, several tour operators in Ilulissat and elsewhere are currently experiencing strong growth. Jørgen Kristensen believes that if tourism is to be strengthened and the country is to be marketed well to the world, then high-quality service must be provided to tourists.

He is one of the most well-known and respected dog sled drivers in Greenland, and he has won Avannaata Qimussersua five times.

- There are many tour operators, but the quality varies a lot. It is the same as it is more expensive to stay in a good hotel than in a bad one.

- If we do not give them quality, it can damage our country's reputation, and this must be avoided.

- High quality is the key to giving visitors a good experience and creating a good brand for the destination, he says.

Dogsled and Ice Academy primarily offers dog sled tours, but also whale safaris, iceberg and glacier tours, and snowmobile tours.

Utilization of human resources

Jørgen Kristensen believes that it is important to develop based on human abilities in the tourism industry.

- Regarding dog sledding, tourists sometimes think that it is expensive to drive, but we put quality first, and that is what we work on.

- In addition to dog sledding, I am also interested in icebergs, glaciers and climate.

- You can expect growth in the number of tourists interested in the climate. That is why it is important for me to develop climate-related activities, he says.

Ilulissat receives over 30,000 tourists per year, but the number is expected to increase significantly with the new international airport.

Challenges in the remote districts

Jørgen Kristensen was one of the speakers at Nalik Ventures' entrepreneurship course in Kullorsuaq in mid-February, and he said that developing tourism in the remote districts is a challenge.

- Greenland is very large and some of the settlements are difficult to access. However, due to the difficult traffic conditions in certain areas, the development of tourism is limited.

- Therefore, if tourism as an industry is to develop more evenly throughout the country, transport conditions should be significantly improved, he says.

Adaptation is important

But he believes it is important to adapt to cruise ships calling at isolated places like Kullorsuaq.

- Cruise tourists arriving in remote districts should be benefited more than they are today.

- So if, for example, fishing and hunting experience tours are developed in the settlements, it can be a great help for the business community in the settlement, says Jørgen Kristensen.

According to Statistics Greenland, the number of cruise tourists in 2024 reached a new high of 95,185.

Smaller cruise ships with around 250 passengers usually call at the settlements.