Ibiza on ice: why is Greenland suddenly throwing open its doors to tourists?

It’s 80% frozen and there are no roads outside towns, but that’s not stopping the territory welcoming more visitors than ever before with three new airports

Name: Greenland (or Kalaallit Nunaat, the land of the people in the Greenlandic language).

Age: The landmass is believed to have been settled about 2500BC.

Appearance: Huge (2,166,086 sq km), almost 80% ice and 100% excited to welcome more tourists.

So, 80% ice, eh? That doesn’t make Greenland the easiest sell for tourists. There are also no roads outside towns. But there is a new international airport in Ilulissat, known as the “city of icebergs” and Greenland’s third-largest city, offering direct flights from Denmark and Iceland. Joining the airports opened in Nuuk (the capital) in 2024 and in Qaqortoq in April, it means Greenland is now extremely open for tourist business.

Really? It still seems awfully remote. Yes – it welcomed more visitors than ever before in 2025 – nearly 180,000 (the population is only 56,000) – and this year is set to beat that.

Aren’t Greenlanders unhappy about being outnumbered? Lots of destinations now want less tourism, not more. Yes, local people in tourist hotspots – especially in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France – have protested at how tourism negatively affects their lives. It’s an issue in Greenland, too – when Nuuk airport opened, there was concern about how the influx of tourists might affect a historically isolated population and pristine environment. A cruise ship was also blocked from entering Ilulissat, where locals feel they see little benefit from foreign tourist operations.

So Greenland isn’t, actually, ‘100% excited’ to welcome tourists? OK, no. There’s still ambivalence, but Donald Trump and the climate crisis may be shifting perspectives. The president’s threat to acquire Greenland filled inhabitants with anger and apprehension, while disruption from melting polar ice means the traditional fishing industry is existentially threatened. The country is also striving for independence from Denmark: “If Greenland wants to be independent, we need to have a strong foundation, economically and in terms of industry and business,” prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen commented on Ilulissat’s maiden flight.

I suppose it’s never going to be rammed like Ibiza either. There is actually a vibrant music culture, with lively hip-hop and heavy metal scenes, and an Indigenous Electronic music festival in Nuuk, but no. Tourism only accounted for 4.9% of GDP in 2024.

Is a new airport enough to attract more visitors? Maybe Visit Greenland could take inspiration from other chilly destinations that are getting creative about attracting tourists: Finland’s Turku archipelago is hiring a smell ambassador to promote what it calls “the best-smelling destination in the world”.

I wonder how Greenland smells? Delicious, like roasted reindeer; fascinating like fermented seal blubber. You can also enjoy whale watching, dog sledding or ice fishing and bathe in hot springs. Plus, it looks extraordinary – the stunning spectacle of the polar ice sheet, astonishing icebergs, exquisite light (including the northern lights and the midnight sun) and unparalleled darkness. Way to up your Instagram game.

Sold! Get me on the first flight to Ilulissat! Angalalluarina (that’s bon voyage, apparently).