Greenland treads softly on tourism as icebergs melt

As tourists flock to Greenland to take in its breathtaking icebergs and natural beauty, authorities are mulling ways to control crowds to protect the fragile environment, already threatened by global warming.

"It's a dream destination," said Yves Gleyze, a veteran off-the-beaten-track French tourist in his 60s as he arrived at the airport in Ilulissat.
Visitors to the third-biggest town in the Danish autonomous territory are met by a rugged, austere landscape of grey rock and sparse vegetation.
But mesmerizing views of massive icebergs come into view after just a short drive.
Breaking off from the Ilulissat glacier in the neighboring fjord, the majestic blocks of ice drift slowly by in Disko Bay, the occasional whale making an appearance.

The postcard views attracted 50,000 tourists in 2021, more than 10 times the town's population.
More than half make only a short pit stop during an Arctic cruise.
Numbers are expected to swell with the opening of an international airport in the next two years, a welcome boost to the island's revenues but also a challenge, given the delicate, and melting, ecosystem.
In the past 40 years, the Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, according to a recent scientific study.

"We can see changes every day caused by climate change: the icebergs are getting smaller, the glacier is retreating," said mayor Palle Jeremiassen.
Thawing permafrost is also threatening the stability of some buildings and infrastructure.
With the immaculate landscape so coveted by tourists changing, officials are determined to protect it without turning away tourists.
"We want to control the arrival of tourist ships here," said Jeremiassen, noting the risks posed by the highly...