Five young people in Nuuk are working closely with local actors throughout Greenland to develop authentic experiences where cruise tourists are not just spectators, but part of the experience. In September, they will face their biggest logistical challenge yet.

DMC Nordic – which stands for Destination Management Company Nordic – a company that has nine offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia, among others, has now opened an office in Nuuk. 

DMC Nordic

– All country offices are individual.

DMC Nordic – which stands for Destination Management Company Nordic – a company with nine offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia, among others, has now opened an office in Nuuk. 

DMC Nordic Announcement

– All country offices are individual.

– The Greenland office operates independently, and right now, when we have just started (October 2024), we are working 100 percent with cruise tourism, explains country manager in Greenland, Magnus Biilmann Trolle, who is based at the new office in the middle of Nuuk, where there are now three permanent employees and two interns.

DMC Nordic Greenland will later begin developing new segments that will target tourists who are either luxury travelers or MICE tourists (people traveling for business, conferences and events).

Want to ensure that tour operators can make money 

The team in Nuuk consists of country manager Magnus Biilmann Trolle, operations coordinators Maria Lyberth and Aviaaja Lynge Petersen, and interns Ivaana Egede and Frederik Frederiksen. Their main task is to handle all the logistics when a cruise ship arrives at a destination in Greenland. They make sure to establish contact with local tour operators and sell their experience products.

– Our most important task is actually to work for the Greenlandic operators and ensure that they earn as much money as possible – and that those who want to join, but are not yet, also get the opportunity, explains Magnus Biilmann Trolle.

It’s not just about getting guests safely there and back. It’s about giving them an experience where they actively participate, learn and connect with Greenland’s culture and nature. For example, they have sold a polka dance lesson to cruise tourists in Qeqertarsuaq, where DMC Nordic has helped double their revenue.

– We see a trend in Greenlandic tourism where we don’t dare to set high prices in tourism, but we are worth much more than we think. There is a lot of consultancy work involved – we help them understand their own value and find prices that make sense, says Magnus Trolle. Operations coordinator Maria Lyberth adds:

– The energy they use – such as the polka dance – should be properly rewarded. They should make good money from it. We don’t just want the guests to watch – they should participate in the activities and learn to dance “Maniitsuliarluta aallaratta” – the polka dance, it’s a more meaningful experience, he says.

DMC Nordic is pushing for tourism products to be sustainable, profitable and meaningful for both guests and locals. At the same time, the team must familiarize themselves with the shipping companies’ service requirements – for example, providing French-speaking guides so that French guests can go out to eat, visit museums or check into the hotel.

The turning point on September 3rd 

September 3rd will be a crucial turning point for DMC Nordic’s team in Nuuk. 

On this day, they face their biggest logistical challenge yet: the replacement of 378 passengers on a cruise ship that has chartered a plane for the occasion. At the same time, 378 new passengers arrive by plane and must board the ship directly.

As if that weren’t enough, there will be another cruise ship in Nuuk’s harbor on the same day – one with a whopping 670 passengers. All the city’s buses will be busy transporting the many tourists around the city.

And as the icing on the cake, a large conference is being held at the same time at Hotel Hans Egede, where everything in town is booked, in addition to Katuaq’s foyer. All in all, DMC Nordic is in for a day where all of its logistical skills will be put to the test.

– We start by panicking! says Magnus Biilmann Trolle and laughs with the team. They have to make both a plan A and a plan B for the day and rent extra cars to supplement their two buses.

– On September 3rd, we are talking about every single day. We will have a so-called turnaround, where around 378 people will board their ship, and 378 guests will fly home from the ship within 5 hours, says Magnus, who is happy that people in Nuuk are professional and flexible if changes occur.

First turnaround

Since the opening of the new international airport, DMC Nordic in Nuuk has already handled their first turnaround with a cruise ship. This happened on April 4th, when passengers were transferred in Nuuk. Here, the team got a feel for how the infrastructure in Nuuk and the airport works – without it clashing with domestic and international flights.

DMC Nordic in Greenland will also employ 10–20 hourly employees when they are responsible for turnarounds, so that some can be present at the port and airport and ensure that everything goes as planned.

“Their role will be to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that everyone is happy. They will also help other operators inform bus drivers about schedules and ensure that the logistical plan is followed,” says Magnus.

Towards better tourism 

A lot has happened since the opening of the office in October 2024 and up until today. The team has been through a steep learning curve, including in connection with their first turnaround in April, where they gained insight into things they didn’t know about – like that buses have different numbers of seats, that check-in at the airport has fixed opening hours, and that there is only one baggage carousel, which has surprised all shipping companies that land in Nuuk.

The head of state believes that there is a need for a discussion about what sustainable tourism actually means in a city like Nuuk, where there are only 1,300 beds in total – including cabins in the fjord.

– We have an infrastructure problem. When a ship with 2,000 passengers comes to Greenland, it is equivalent to 200,000 people coming by ship to Norway. It is not just equal, says Magnus, referring to the discussion that Visit Greenland has raised at their conferences – where the desire is better tourism rather than mass tourism.

A possible solution could be to spread the tourists more throughout the country and not just concentrate them around Ilulissat and Nuuk. Instead, they could be sent to places like Qeqertarsuaq, Maniitsoq, Qasigiannguit and other smaller towns. That is exactly what we are helping with.

– We have had meetings with several shipping companies where we have made them aware of the challenges that exist in certain destinations. For example, I have presented Qeqertarsuaq and Disko Island as alternatives, because there may be capacity problems in Ilulissat – and several people actually did not know that Disko Island exists. Then we go in and show pictures and tell them that it is Greenland’s only volcanic region – and sell it to their sales offices.

– At the same time, Frederik and Ivaana are working hard to develop new product catalogs for cities that currently do not receive as many visitors. We have already created a catalog for Maniitsoq and are now working on the Qeqertalik area, says Magnus Biilmann Trolle.

DMC Nordic – which stands for Destination Management Company Nordic – a company with nine offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia, among others, has now opened an office in Nuuk. 

DMC Nordic

– All country offices are individual.

DMC Nordic – which stands for Destination Management Company Nordic – a company that has nine offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia, among others, has now opened an office in Nuuk. 

DMC Nordic Announcement

– All country offices are individual.

– The Greenlandic office operates independently, and right now, when we have just started (October 2024), we are working 100 percent with cruise tourism, explains country manager in Greenland, Magnus Biilmann Trolle, who is based at the new office in the middle of Nuuk, where there are now three permanent employees and two interns.

DMC Nordic Greenland will later begin developing new segments that will target tourists who are either luxury travelers or MICE tourists (people traveling for business, conferences and events).

Want to ensure that tour operators can make money 

The team in Nuuk consists of country manager Magnus Biilmann Trolle, operations coordinators Maria Lyberth and Aviaaja Lynge Petersen, and interns Ivaana Egede and Frederik Frederiksen. Their main task is to handle all the logistics when a cruise ship arrives at a destination in Greenland. They make sure to establish contact with local tour operators and sell their experience products.

– Our most important task is actually to work for the Greenlandic operators and ensure that they earn as much money as possible – and that those who want to join, but are not yet, also get the opportunity, explains Magnus Biilmann Trolle.

It’s not just about getting guests safely there and back. It’s about giving them an experience where they actively participate, learn and connect with Greenland’s culture and nature. For example, they have sold a polka dance lesson to cruise tourists in Qeqertarsuaq, where DMC Nordic has helped double their revenue.

– We see a trend in Greenlandic tourism where we don’t dare to set high prices in tourism, but we are worth much more than we think. There is a lot of consultancy work involved – we help them understand their own value and find prices that make sense, says Magnus Trolle. Operations coordinator Maria Lyberth adds:

– The energy they use – such as the polka dance – should be properly rewarded. They should make good money from it. We don’t just want the guests to watch – they should participate in the activities and learn to dance “Maniitsuliarluta aallaratta” – the polka dance, it’s a more meaningful experience, he says.

DMC Nordic is pushing for tourism products to be sustainable, profitable and meaningful for both guests and locals. At the same time, the team must familiarize themselves with the shipping companies’ service requirements – for example, providing French-speaking guides so that French guests can go out to eat, visit museums or check into the hotel.

The turning point on September 3rd 

September 3rd will be a crucial turning point for DMC Nordic’s team in Nuuk. 

On this day, they face their biggest logistical challenge yet: the replacement of 378 passengers on a cruise ship that has chartered a plane for the occasion. At the same time, 378 new passengers arrive by plane and must board the ship directly.

As if that weren’t enough, there will be another cruise ship in Nuuk’s harbor on the same day – one with a whopping 670 passengers. All the city’s buses will be busy transporting the many tourists around the city.

And as the icing on the cake, a large conference is being held at the same time at Hotel Hans Egede, where everything in town is booked, in addition to Katuaq’s foyer. All in all, DMC Nordic is in for a day where all of its logistical skills will be put to the test.

– We start by panicking! says Magnus Biilmann Trolle and laughs with the team. They have to make both a plan A and a plan B for the day and rent extra cars to supplement their two buses.

– On September 3rd, we are talking about every single day. We will have a so-called turnaround, where around 378 people will board their ship, and 378 guests will fly home from the ship within 5 hours, says Magnus, who is happy that people in Nuuk are professional and flexible if changes occur.

First turnaround

Since the opening of the new international airport, DMC Nordic in Nuuk has already handled their first turnaround with a cruise ship. This happened on April 4th, when passengers were transferred in Nuuk. Here, the team got a feel for how the infrastructure in Nuuk and the airport works – without it clashing with domestic and international flights.

DMC Nordic in Greenland will also employ 10–20 hourly employees when they are responsible for turnarounds, so that some can be present at the port and airport and ensure that everything goes as planned.

“Their role will be to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that everyone is happy. They will also help other operators inform bus drivers about schedules and ensure that the logistical plan is followed,” says Magnus.

Towards better tourism 

A lot has happened since the opening of the office in October 2024 and up until today. The team has been through a steep learning curve, including in connection with their first turnaround in April, where they gained insight into things they didn’t know about – like that buses have different numbers of seats, that check-in at the airport has fixed opening hours, and that there is only one baggage carousel, which has surprised all shipping companies that land in Nuuk.

The head of state believes that there is a need for a discussion about what sustainable tourism actually means in a city like Nuuk, where there are only 1,300 beds in total – including cabins in the fjord.

– We have an infrastructure problem. When a ship with 2,000 passengers comes to Greenland, it is equivalent to 200,000 people coming by ship to Norway. It is not just equal, says Magnus, referring to the discussion that Visit Greenland has raised at their conferences – where the desire is better tourism rather than mass tourism.

A possible solution could be to spread the tourists more throughout the country and not just concentrate them around Ilulissat and Nuuk. Instead, they could be sent to places like Qeqertarsuaq, Maniitsoq, Qasigiannguit and other smaller towns. That is exactly what we are helping with.

– We have had meetings with several shipping companies where we have made them aware of the challenges that exist in certain destinations. For example, I have presented Qeqertarsuaq and Disko Island as alternatives, because there may be capacity problems in Ilulissat – and several people actually did not know that Disko Island exists. Then we go in and show pictures and tell them that it is Greenland’s only volcanic region – and sell it to their sales offices.

– At the same time, Frederik and Ivaana are working hard to develop new product catalogs for cities that currently do not receive as many visitors. We have already created a catalog for Maniitsoq and are now working on the Qeqertalik area, says Magnus Biilmann Trolle.