Honest Greenland tourism website up for international award

Greenland’s national tourism website has been nominated for a Webby Award, the online community’s equivalent of an Oscar. The Visit Greenland website, which presents the country as a “pioneer” destination and makes no attempt to hide the lack of infrastructure, has been nominated in the tourism category, with the winning entry set to be chosen by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences on May 21.

Launched in March 2011, the website even addresses negative stereotypes of Greenland, with links to pictures and videos of whale hunting and seal clubbing. It admits that the country is “not a luxury experience by any means” and urges visitors to see “Greenland for what it is” and not to “come with the wrong expectations”.

Speaking to Nuuk-based newspaper Sermitsiaq/AG, Visit Greenland’s director Anders Stenbakken said they are chuffed to be nominated alongside travel websites for New York, Canada and New Zealand.

“We are very proud for Greenland, that we as a small country can muster a website that can compare with the best tourism websites in the world,” Stenbakken said.

“When we launched the site for about a year ago, we were in no doubt that it was one of the best and most beautiful sites in the North Atlantic and Scandinavia in general, but now we have proof on paper that greenland.com belongs in the absolute world’s elite. We are up against stiff competition from some very major destinations and sites with millions of visitors,” he added.