Greenland is taking steps to restrict cruise ship access to its fjords due to concerns over noise pollution and the effects on wildlife. The approach is two-pronged, with Greenland officials calling for self-regulation and restraint from cruise lines, though these polite requests will be backed up by legislation.
Driven by travellers seeking off-the-beaten path destinations and by newfound popularity after skirmishes with the US Trump administration, tourism to Greenland has boomed in recent times, increasing eight percent between 2024 and 2025, to reach 180,000 visitors.
@magic.travels.with.alexa For us Greenland and the Arctic circle was a 10/10 experience. #cruise #greenland #bucketlist #travel #traveltiktok ♬ original sound – magic.travels.with.alexa
Cruise passengers actually declined slightly (1.4%) in the same year, probably thanks to an increase in air connectivity with Nuuk international airport. Nonetheless, Greenland’s officials are taking no chances with the country’s natural assets, which include pristine glacial fjord landscapes that provide a habitat for creatures ranging from Arctic foxes to narwals, seals, walruses, whales, and rare seabirds – as well as humans.
It is the latter who have complained to local municipalities and the national Naalakkersuisut government about the impact of cruise ship tours by firms such as AIDA, Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Explora, Holland America, Oceania, Phoenix Reisen, Seabourn, Viking, Windstar, and Virgin. Some popular destinations such as Qaqortoq and Nanortalik are set to receive than 20 cruise calls in the coming weeks, Cruise Industry News reported, with large vessels also due to descend on Nuuk, Paamiut, Ilulissat, and Narsarsuaq.
The cruise sector has been regularly criticised for various forms of pollution, including underwater noise that disturbs marine mammal communication and affects feeding, mating, and migration patterns. Waste and litter discharges can harm coastal habitats, and black carbon from cruise ship exhausts is absorbed into snow, speeding up heating and melting. Cruise ships have even been known to collide with species such as whales and walruses, causing injuries and fatalities.
While the Greenland government recognises cruise tourism as an economic positive, and some of the excursions are research-based, it said in a press release that the purpose of the current recommendation “is to limit the impact on vulnerable natural areas and wildlife, as well as to meet the local population’s wishes to preserve the recreational values of the areas and the opportunities for catching and fishing.”
For now, the voluntary guidance urges cruise companies to coordinate their activity, considering local conditions. However, formal access limits are under negotiation with local communities, businesses, and other stakeholders. The restrictions are likely be in the form of zoning regulations under Greenland’s Tourism Act, placing boundaries on where cruises can operate.
