U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, have sparked an ongoing political and diplomatic firestorm in several European countries. Unsurprisingly, some Americans have expressed fears of backlash while traveling abroad, especially to Greenland and Denmark.
But VisitDenmark has a reassuring message for U.S. travelers: They’re warmly welcomed in the Scandinavian country, a sentiment the national tourist board emphasized in a recent email to approximately 6,000 U.S.-based travel agents and tour operators, Mette Ejlskov Hansen, Visit Denmark’s U.S. marketing manager, confirmed to Afar.
“First and foremost, travelers are welcome in Denmark,” stated the January 26 email. “At this time, there is no indication that the situation has affected travel safety, visitor experience, or tourism operations in Denmark. This is based on our regular conversations with the travel industry and recent travel reporting.”
The message also acknowledged the hesitancy expressed by some Americans about traveling outside the U.S. amid Trump’s second presidential term—especially to Denmark, which, because of its relationship to Greenland, has often been in the media spotlight as of late as a result of all the political hoopla surrounding Trump’s threats—and assured them of a warm reception upon arrival.
“While some American travelers have asked whether they remain welcome, the answer is a clear yes,” the email stated.
“No hatred toward Americans”
Hansen said the response to the email—which she described as a “special addition” complementing the organization’s regular monthly correspondence—has been “extremely positive.”
“We usually have a good open rate, but this one had a 75 percent open rate, compared to around 50 percent usually,” she said. “So you can tell that people wanted [to hear] this message.”
At this point, travel to Denmark has not been affected by the current geopolitical focus on the country, Hansen said—another point noted in the email. “There’s been no noticeable decline in interest or bookings related to the situation,” it stated, adding that “any minor fluctuations align with seasonal booking patterns.”
In fact, travel to Denmark from the U.S. market was up by 8.3 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to VisitDenmark figures, with overwhelmingly positive traveler experiences, Hansen said. Its capital city of Copenhagen has emerged as a capital of cool in recent years, fueled by a globally-recognized food scene, as well as a growing interest in Nordic culture and climate with the rise of travel to cool-weather destinations.
“In all the reports, I’ve not heard of anybody who’s had a bad travel experience, at least from the Danish side,” she said. “They see a difference between people and the government. So there’s no hatred toward Americans.”
In Greenland, it’s trickier to assess how American travelers will be received in light of Trump’s repeated calls to take over the island, which began in 2019 during his first presidential term and ramped up in late 2025 with his threats to use military force.
Despite recent remarks in which the U.S. president softened that stance (and ruled out imposing tariffs on opposing countries he’d previously threatened), some U.S. travelers, not surprisingly, are hesitant about traveling there. According to a recent New York Times report, some tour operators have seen cancellations and drops in bookings from the U.S.—even as tourism has increased significantly over the past year, as a new airport and direct flights to the U.S. have helped open up the traditionally difficult-to-reach destination to a whole new era of American travelers.
Visit Greenland did not respond to an email inquiry before publication. However, Avaaraq Olsen, mayor of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, told the New York Times that “the people of Greenland are very aware that not every American supports Trump and his administration.”
