By AFP -Agence France Presse
Greenland seeks to capitalize on “last-chance" tourism
A frozen landscape with breathtaking views, Greenland wants to attract more tourists, but its remote location and fragile environment - which make it a unique destination - also pose challenges.
“The effects of global warming are most pronounced in the Arctic,” Michael Hall, a professor at the University of Canterbury and tourism expert, told AFP.
Global warming is accelerating “the loss of Arctic sea ice in summer, (as well as) the melting of permafrost, ice shelves, and glaciers,” he said, referring to elements that contribute to the island's uniqueness.
All over Greenland, locals are witnessing the effects of global warming firsthand.
On the southwest coast, in Maniitsoq, the sea ice hasn't been solid enough to walk on since 2018. Residents have also seen the ice shrink from year to year, as well as less abundant snowfall.
Even so, tourists are impressed by the views.
“It's terra incognita,” said Amy Yankovic, a 55-year-old American tourist.
The Texan traveled for almost 24 hours to reach Greenland, taking three connecting flights.
Tourism is responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations, most of which is attributed to transportation.
There is “a kind of ‘last chance tourism,’ where visiting these threatened sites means wanting to see them before they disappear,” said Emmanuel Salim, professor of geography at the University of Toulouse in France.
He said that similar destinations, such as Churchill in Canada, known as the “polar bear capital of the world,” “have tried to position themselves as places to ‘learn’ about the environment.”
But while these destinations may raise awareness about better environmental practices, their carbon footprints continue to increase, he lamented.
Developing tourism in a fragile environment is a tricky balancing act.
Mitigating the impacts of global warming in the Arctic is a global responsibility,” said Hall, adding that ‘current attempts at mitigation are woefully inadequate.’
The Greenland authorities insist that they want prudent development of the tourism sector to create jobs.
“In recent years, we have seen that young people have started to become tour operators,” Maniitsoq mayor Gideon Lyberth told AFP.
“We're very, very happy because young people have been leaving here for Nuuk to live there, but now they're coming back,” he said.
“Of course, these developments are generally seen as a good idea, at least in the short term,” said Hall.
cbw/ef/po/lth
Comentarios