Calving icebergs draw tourists to Greenland

Calving icebergs are very dramatic and play well on TV. They serve as clear examples of the global warming caused by man. But the images do not just increase awareness of climate changes. They are also good marketing for Greenland. In Disko Bay, icebergs are calving increasingly faster, and the bay town of Illulisat has considerable significance for the tourism industry in Greenland. "The climate changes are very visible there," says Anders La Cour Wah from Greenland's tourism and trade council. "This is a destination for both journalists and politicians." The substantial attention the media has given to climate changes has been good marketing for Greenland. "When we travel around to market ourselves as a tourist destination, we can't start from zero. Greenland has become known thanks to the climate debate." Cruise ship tourism in Greenland is increasing in popularity. In 2004, 16,000 people took cruises; in 2009 the figure was 27,000. Dr Hans Gelter is a university lecturer and researcher in experience production at the Luleå University of Technology. Among other things, he researches polar tourism. This story is posted on Alaska Dispatch as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations.