There were 8 percent more tourists to Greenland in 2025 compared to the previous year. But a large part of them come through the new airport in Nuuk instead of Kangerlussuaq.
Nuuk has taken over role as the primary international airport in Greenland, and this can clearly be seen in the number of foreign passengers. In 2024, 11,306 foreign passengers flew to Nuuk, while in 2025 the figure has increased to 93,753 passengers.
This is an increase of 729 percent.
This is shown in a new tourism statistics report from Visit Greenland.
The international airport in Nuuk opened in November 2024.
But the increase in Nuuk also has clear consequences for the airport in Kangerlussuaq, which in 2025 has experienced a drop in foreign passengers of 88.2 percent.
In general, there has been an increase in the number of tourists of 8 percent, but the report emphasizes that the figure is uncertain because 91.4 percent of air passengers lack a registered country of residence.
Cruise ships have multiple landings
While there was a slight decrease in the number of unique cruise passengers of 1.4 percent, the ships docked in more ports. The number of landings increased by 17.8 percent in 2025.
In Paamiut in particular, they saw a significant increase in cruise guests from 5,196 in 2024 to 29,873 in 2025. An increase of 474.9 percent.
In comparison, cruise passengers in Nuuk increased by 18.6 percent.
The report also shows that small destinations are growing extremely fast.
Qassiarsuk received 888 percent more cruise tourists in 2025, although the number in 2024 was very low.
In Tasiilaq they got 190.6 percent more cruise tourists, and in Aasiaat the figure was 141.0 percent.
There are also indications that the tourism season will be longer. More tourists come in both spring and autumn, with April and September both increasing by more than 17 percent, writes Visit Greenland in its report.
