For the 2024 season, the capital municipality has received almost three million kroner from the Self-Government, which is responsible for collecting an environmental and maintenance tax of 50 kroner per cruise passenger who disembarks.
The municipality will try to increase this amount by introducing the tax in Ivittuut and Grønnedal in the south and Ikkatteq near Tasiilaq in the east.
Regarding the destinations at the southern end of the sprawling capital municipality the following is the justification:
- In recent years, interest in the above-mentioned destinations has been steadily increasing. Interest in Ivittuut and Grønnedal after DR's documentary "Greenland's white gold" and followed by the major debate, is expected to increase even more, according to the recommendation from Internal Service to the politicians in the Committee for Economy and Business, which will meet on Tuesday, February 10.
Ivittuut is a disused mining town, which is popularly called the ghost town. This is where, from 1854 until 1987, cryolite was mined and shipped, which was used to produce aluminum. Ivittuut is only about four kilometers from Grønnedal.
Increasing interest
About Ikkatteq, which is also a disused settlement and is located approximately 14 kilometres west of Tasiilaq, the administration writes:
- Interest in Ikkatteq has also been steadily increasing, and local operators have been using the site as an attraction for several years. It is expected that the cruise industry will become more interested in Ikkatteq following the great attention that Greenland has received, because the US president has shown great interest in Greenland recently and the resulting massive international media coverage, it is stated in the presentation to the finance committee.
It is emphasized that the funds from the tax that accrue to the municipality "must be reinvested in improving various micro-infrastructure projects for the benefit of tourists and not least the locals".
