President Trump has come in for fierce criticism for his stance in recent days, although his rhetoric has softened after what have been described as "productive" talks with Nato over Arctic security.
“Greenland has always been the Arctic area that was more difficult to sell because of lack of awareness – everyone knows it now,” Martin Johnson, director at Polar Routes, told TTG. “It’s helping people discover it.”
Although Polar Routes’ 2026 bookings for Greenland are down by 20%, the expedition specialist has noted an increase in enquiries about the Danish territory since Trump's machinations began. “We’ve had more clients calling to ask questions,” Johnson continued. “One even jokingly said that they’re keen to visit Greenland before Trump buys it!”
However, Johnson is also conscious some travellers may wait to book Greenland until the geopolitical situation calms down. “With the news developing so quickly, clients might hold back and just see what happens. We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments.”
Akvile Marozaite, chief executive of the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN), said there had been no operational disruption to Greenland itineraries since Trump earlier this month revived his 2019 campaign to acquire the territory. “The geopolitical context has prompted some conversations, but our members are not seeing any significant increase in trade or consumer concern,” she told TTG.
“In fact, bookings remain strong across several operators, with one expedition cruise line citing Greenland as its second most popular destination after Antarctica. It remains open, accessible and very much on sale.”
This positive outlook was echoed by HX Expeditions, the largest expedition cruise operator in Greenland. “Travel to Greenland continues as normal,” said HX Expeditions head of communications for the UK and Southern Europe, Niamh Jenkinson.
“For us, the UK market hasn’t been impacted and continues to perform strongly, which is very encouraging, and at this stage there’s no material impact across our other markets.”
Quark Expeditions, which operates 11 voyages visiting Greenland, is another operator not feeling great effects of Trump's renewed efforts to acquire Greenland for the US.
“While we are monitoring the situation closely and continue to keep in close touch with our contacts in Greenland, there is currently no change to our travel plans or expedition itineraries,” Sarah Soteroff, Quark PR and communications manager, told TTG.
“We are not commenting on Trump and the immediate future as we have not heard enough data to provide a perspective,” said Tanny Por, head of international, media & trade relations at Visit Greenland.
“From a longer-term tourism perspective, what I can share is that we have seen growing international interest in Greenland, particularly over the last year. It is difficult to pinpoint a single driver – whether it is the new airports, route developments, or the broader global attention on Greenland – and it is likely a combination of these factors.”
