Coordinating Cruise Visits During the Solar Eclipse in Ittoqqortoormiit

Fourteen cruise ship calls brought around 1,600 passengers to Ittoqqortoormiit over six days around the total solar eclipse in August. Close coordination between AECO and the local community helped manage the influx of visitors while respecting the community’s needs and wishes.

Ittoqqortoormiit is Greenland’s smallest town, with around 320 residents. Located at the entrance to the Scoresby Sound fjord system, Kangertittivaq, the community is associated with hunting and fishing. Cruise tourism has also become an increasingly visible part of life in the town.

This August’s total solar eclipse attracted a large number of visitors to Ittoqqortoormiit.

Between August 10 and 15, cruise ships made 14 visits to Ittoqqortoormiit, bringing around 1,600 passengers ashore over six days. Crew members from the ships also visited the town.

On August 11, the day before the eclipse, four cruise ships carrying more than 500 guests were anchored off Ittoqqortoormiit at the same time.

Coordinating a high number of ship calls

Local tour operator Mette Pike Barselajsen, who runs ITT Guesthouse and coordinates the town’s open city days for cruise visitors, worked with a team of pensioners, young people, fishermen, and local guides to welcome visitors and organize their time in the community.

“There are only about 320 people in Ittoqqortoormiit. With four cruise ships that day, there were a lot of guests coming to the town, considering the size of the town,” says Mette Pike Barselajsen.

The challenge was not simply the number of visitors, but coordinating ship calls so that the community could accommodate them.

“I talked to my partners about planning the times for the ship calls. It becomes too difficult to coordinate things and have space in the town for many visitors if two ships land at the same time,” she says.

AECO identified the need for additional coordination early on and began asking members about their plans for Ittoqqortoormiit during the eclipse as early as November.

When operators reported their sailing plans in January, it became clear that an unusually high number of ships intended to call at Ittoqqortoormiit during the solar eclipse.

In February, AECO initiated a meeting with representatives from Ittoqqortoormiit, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, and the municipality’s business council. Further coordination followed during the spring and summer, bringing the community’s plans together with the ships’ sailing schedules.

Comparing arrival information also revealed double bookings and planned calls that the community had not been aware of. Barselajsen, AECO, destination companies, and operators subsequently worked with the individual ships to spread arrivals across different times and days.

Welcoming visitors on the community’s terms

Managing visitor numbers was only part of the coordination. It was equally important that cruise visits respected everyday life in Ittoqqortoormiit and the wishes of the community.

Visitors went ashore in groups accompanied by local guides, rather than exploring the town independently.

“When tourists have no one to accompany them, they go to people’s houses and look in through the windows. We think that’s crossing the line. That’s why we in Ittoqqortoormiit agreed that the cruise guests should go in groups with their guides. It’s best for us who live here, so that we are disturbed as little as possible,” says Mette Pike Barselajsen.

The church, museum, and information center welcomed visitors, while local guides offered walking tours. This approach gave guests an opportunity to experience Ittoqqortoormiit while helping ensure that visits took place with respect for the people who live there.

One plan for all visiting ships

To ensure that guests arrived with a common understanding of the community, Ittoqqortoormiit’s wishes were compiled into a shared document. It included maps, photographs, and a template for the open city program.

The material was distributed to the visiting ships, and AECO brought operators together ahead of the eclipse to explain the community’s plans and the information that should be shared with guests and crew.

For Barselajsen, the willingness of the different parties to cooperate was crucial.

“Although the coordination started a little late, it all worked out because the operators responded quickly and flexibly to the town’s wishes. There was successful cooperation between Ittoqqortoormiit, AECO, and the cruise ships.”

Keeping to the agreed arrival times made a significant difference.

“If the ships had not been willing to cooperate and respect the times we gave to the open city, the town would have been packed with people,” she says.

Turning the experience into guidelines for future visits

Following the collaboration, Barselajsen, AECO, and cruise operators agreed on guidelines for future calls. Under the guidelines, passengers from a maximum of two ships should visit Ittoqqortoormiit per day.

The experience highlights the value of close coordination between the community and AECO’s members in managing cruise visits.

An earlier version of this story was published by Sermitsiaq on October 27.

Last update: 09. November 2026