Geography of inbound tourism in Greenland and the Faroe Islands

Abstract

Greenland and the Faroe Islands — Danish possessions, in which tourism in the 2010s developed quite actively. Despite the weak connection with the outside world, the geography of tourist arrivals during this period has generally expanded, and the number has almost doubled. Both territories specialize in ecological tourism; there are also some notable objects of cultural tourism. The aim of the study is to identify the geographical features of the distribution of the inbound tourist flow to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The data of the statistical services of the corresponding territories were used. The features of the dynamics, structure and distribution of the inbound tourist flow (based on statistics of accommodation facilities, airports and cruise ports) are revealed, the features of transport communication that are significant for tourism are described. The insular position and the colonial “imprint” have a negative effect in terms of the diversity of tourist traffic, but they hold back overtourism. Greenland belongs to the territories of Arctic tourism. It is characterized by high values of tourist load, significant dependence on cruise tourism and a pronounced seasonality with a summer peak. The main tourist regions are identified and their characteristic features are described: Disko Bay, Southern Greenland, Eastern Greenland and the Capital region.