Greenland is emerging as an arctic tourism destination for American travellers, offering ice fjords, hot springs and wildlife experiences alongside direct flights from major US airports.

Six American airports now connect to Nuuk, Greenland's capital. Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, along with airports in Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco, all operate flights to the arctic destination. United Airlines launched first-ever direct seasonal flights from Newark to Nuuk last summer.

Nuuk, home to fewer than 20 thousand people, features Greenland National Museum and Archives, Nuuk Art Museum and Katuaq Cultural Center. City offers restaurants, fashion boutiques and unique architecture despite being world's northernmost capital.

About 80% of Greenland remains covered in ice, yet the country attracts visitors with diverse landscapes. West Greenland's Ilulissat hosts the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Sermeq Kujalleq, one of world’s fastest and most active glaciers. Visitors observe massive icebergs during boat trips and hiking expeditions.

Disko Bay draws tourists for summer whale watching in iceberg-filled waters. Southern Greenland presents greener landscapes, including Kujataa, a UNESCO cultural landscape known for Norse and Inuit farming, hunting and fishing traditions dating back over one thousand years.

Scandinavian Viking-era settlers led by Erik the Red from Iceland established medieval farming colonies in southwestern Greenland around 985 to 986 CE.

“Sheep farming, in particular, is central to the region's cultural landscape,” UNESCO writes, noting that mild summers and long daylight hours produce high-quality wool and meat.

Southern region features 38-degree hot springs with crystal-clear waters discovered over one thousand years ago. Uunartoq Hot Springs, surrounded by mountain peaks and drifting icebergs, ranks among most popular thermal sites.

Tourism to Greenland, including air arrivals and cruise passengers, reached approximately 1 lakh 16 thousand visitors in 2023. Projections for 2024 to 2025 estimate annual visitor numbers between 1 lakh 20 thousand and 1 lakh 40 thousand.

Qaqortoq, a southern Greenland town dating back to 1700s, maintains population of about 3 thousand people. President Donald Trump's recent interest in acquiring Greenland for national defense has brought additional international attention to world's largest island.

Source: Fox News