Greenland made news this past fall when Visit Greenland, representing the tourism sector, announced at the Nordic region’s most important travel fair held in Reykjavik its collective commitment to promote more sustainable and responsible tourism development.
The new pledge marks the initial phase in the process of certifying Greenland’s tourism industry, and reflects the ambitions and priorities of the 70+ companies and organizations linked to the sector that took part in the preceding “Towards Better Tourism” conference held in Nuuk in April 2023.
According to Visit Greenland, the industry’s new “Our Pledge Towards Better Tourism” reflects “a shared direction for the future of tourism to Greenland, which the pledging companies and organizations commit to value and uphold.” The pledge outlines five overarching themes, including the importance of respecting and strengthening Greenland’s natural and cultural values, prioritizing local communities and businesses, as well as creating new and appealing opportunities in tourism for young people. “Overall, the pledge embodies a shared set of values and is intended to ensure that tourism is developed for and by all of Greenland,” notes the organization.
Resonance is currently engaged in the region as an implementer of the Digital Economy and Market Development Project (DEMD) Greenland activity supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The intended goals of this effort including driving economic growth by removing trade barriers and improving Greenland’s trade relationships with other countries in consumables, outdoor goods, and tourism.
As part of this work, Resonance is implementing a unique partnership with Greenland-based Nalik Ventures A/S to support strategic investments contributing to competitiveness, impact, and sustainability in the growing Greenlandic tourism sector. This partnership was established through USAID - Enterprise Driven Growth Initiative (EDGI), which aims to leverage greater private sector engagement (PSE) and innovative strategies to expand the country's trade connectivity and economic growth.
Given the growth in visitors to Greenland over the last several years, Greenland's leadership, EDGI, and Nalik view investment in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) support services in the tourism and hospitality sector as paramount to overall economic growth. Just this month, the partnership launched activities as part of its inclusive business incubator and accelerator, which focuses on expanding business development services (BDS) and investment approaches for new and existing SMEs with potential in this sector. The first cohort of entrepreneurs and business owners met in January to participate in tailored training and mentorships, and to receive inclusive digital ecosystem assessment and tool acquisition assistance, innovation and design help, and financial resource pipeline development.
Note: Resonance will be communicating the SME journeys of these participants in the coming year.
In support of these initiatives, Resonance conducted research and produced 3-Case Study Series on “Doing Tourism in Greenland” under DEMD.
Evan Lege, Resonance Technical Associate, Economic Growth, led the case study research and development, and noted of the timeliness of these resources, “Greenland has been a hot topic in the media for tourism and geopolitical issues. Businesses, organizations, and leaders consider up-to-date data and analysis on not only opportunities, which includes assessment of assets, resources, systems, and initiatives, but also existing and anticipated challenges.” These are just some of the important considerations included in the case study series – background businesses and investors should examine as Greenland expands its tourism sector, notes Evan, especially given the country’s growing focus on sustainability.
If you are interested in learning more about this initiative or our research and analysis services, contact Courtney Johnson-Woods, Senior Technical Associate, Communications & Engagement, and she will put you in touch with appropriate Resonance experts.