If Greenland is on your travel bucket list, 2025 might be the year to go
Not many people dream of going to Greenland. It's big, cold, and not a lot of people live there. The vast majority of the island is covered by a massive ice sheet, after all. Then again, you could also say similar things about Canada and a surprising number of people want to travel there. So, why not Greenland? Well, that might be about to change thanks to a series of new airports being built on the island, the first of which is already open for business.
Technically part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is considered an autonomous territory. Less than 60,000 people call this massive island home, though there is evidence of habitation going all the way back to 2500 BC. One third of the population lives in the capital city of Nuuk, which is not surprisingly it's largest city. That's why the first of Greenland's new airports is now open outside of Nuuk, giving travelers the opportunity to start their adventure in the most populous region.
The Nuuk International Airport will be able to handle large commuter flights, the first of its kind in Greenland with two more airports to follow. The first direct flights will be back and forth to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. After that, the next destination for direct flights will be New York City. It's not hard to imagine that success will lead to more additions to that roster in Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Tourism has been on a slow but steady rise in Greenland over the past decade as travelers look for destinations with less tourists and more authentic adventures. The goal of improving airport capabilities is to encourage that growth, which will also lead to increases in other tourism related businesses such as hotels, car rentals, tour guides, and restaurants.