Qaanaaq wants more visitors, but tourists' trips are being canceled

Qaanaaq has the highest number of tourists in April and May, which gives the prisoners the opportunity to earn extra money. However, the tourism industry is calling for better transport connections.

A tourism player says that the increasing global interest in authentic experiences – often called “authentic experiences” – can also be felt in Qaanaaq.

– Authentic experience tourism is a growing trend and the future of tourism. Many tourists are very interested in experiencing other cultures, and you can do that in Qaanaaq, says Saki Daorana, who runs a tourist agency.

The prisoners in Qaanaaq have a lot of experience taking tourists on dog sledding trips.

– The prisoners are very skilled, even though they don’t speak English or Danish. A tourist came up to me after a dog sledding trip and said it was the best experience he had ever had, says Saki Daorana.

Dog sledding

Dog sledding trips are also arranged from Qaanaaq to Siorapaluk and Qeqertat through the ice sheet.

– We go on dog sledding trips to the settlements of Qeqertat and Siorapaluk, depending on what the tourists want to experience. We drive across the ice in the fjord to Iterlersuaq, where the tourists especially enjoy getting far out on the ice, says Adolf Simigaq, who is a hunter and dog sled driver.

The tourists come from all over the world.

– Photographers, filmmakers and researchers come here to drive dogsleds or experience narwhal hunting on the ice, explains Saki Daorana.

Important source of income

For fishermen and hunters in Qaanaaq, the purchase of halibut and mattak is an important source of income.

– There are few opportunities to make money. I am proud to work with the prisoners and help them make money from tourism, says Saki Daorana.

The prisoners are also eager to take tourists out.

– We sled dog owners want to earn a little extra. Sometimes we fight for the trips, says Adolf Simigaq.

Want better transportation

Foreign tourists understand that weather can delay travel, but have a harder time understanding why you can’t travel when the weather is good.

– Tourists understand delays due to weather, but they have a hard time understanding why there are no flights when the conditions are good, says Saki Daorana.

This disappoints many visitors.

– A man who did not make it to Qaanaaq once said: “Why should I pay so much for an experience I did not get?”, he says.

Tourists often choose between Qaanaaq and other destinations such as Mongolia.

– Due to high travel costs and cancellations in Greenland, tourists have to choose between Qaanaaq and Mongolia, where it is easier to get there, says Saki Daorana.

Dissatisfaction with downgrading He calls for a solution to the frequent delays in traffic to and from Qaanaaq.

– It feels like a form of discrimination. When the weather in Nuuk is bad, flights are cancelled, but as soon as the weather improves, passengers are sent on. Passengers to and from Qaanaaq often have to wait two, three or five days – sometimes up to a week. I believe that all destinations should be treated equally, says Saki Daorana.

A prisoner points out that more flights could alleviate the problem.

– When delays occur in West Greenland, flights that were actually going to Qaanaaq are used elsewhere. This means that passengers to Qaanaaq are further delayed.