Rethinking connectivity in Arctic tourism development

• Published in: Annals of Tourism Research
• Main Authors: Ren, Carina, Jóhannesson, Gunnar Thór, Ásgeirsson, Magnús Haukur, Woodall, Sarah, Reigner, Nathan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Arctic tourism; Capacity; Connectivity; Greenland; Policy; Arctic; greenlandic
• Online Access: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/737f44ac-71fa-4a81-b427-bb9beeebfd1c; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2023.103705

This paper explores tourism development in Greenland using connectivity as a prism to explore the emerging challenges and opportunities brought about by vast distances and limited and costly accessibility. We introduce the current tourism situation in Greenland in a context of broader development patterns and currents in Arctic tourism. Based on interviews, workshops and policy analysis, we point to three pressing conversations in Greenlandic tourism: governance, tourism data and capacity. Drawing on the concepts of ‘islandness’ and (dis)connectivity, we suggest that Greenland is not one, but several, only partially connected destinations. We end up arguing for a greater need for sensitivity and tailoring in tourism policy making and for future initiatives to take geographical and ‘situational’ differences into account.