Statistics Iceland just published very positive figures about tourists and the tourism industry. In the first quarter of this year, tourism revenue increased from 52 billion ISK to 94 billion ISK in one year. If you look at twelve months, a whole year, from April 2022 to March 2023, income from foreign tourists has increased a lot, from 248 billion ISK to 490 billion ISK, compared to the same months last year. Roughly 31,000 people currently work in jobs related to tourism in Iceland, an increase of 8,000 people from last year. The number of rental cars has increased a lot as well, but last May there were just over 20,000, this year they are over 30,000, an increase of more than a third. The share of tourism in the GDP has reached almost 8% and has never been higher, even though tourists stop here for slightly shorter stays than before the pandemic they spend much more. It has now gotten to the point that the tourism industry brings more foreign currency income to the national economy than the fishing industry or aluminum production. In other words, tourism has become the largest currency generating industry in Iceland today.
Photographs & text: Páll Stefánsson
Iceland 15/06/2023 : A7RIII, A7C, RX1R II : FE 2.8/100mm GM, FE 1.8/20mm G, FE 1.2/50mm GM, FE 1.4/24mm GM, FE 2.8/90mm G
