Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.04.2012, Qupperneq 12

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12 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • April 1 2012
Icelandic Farm Holidays, called in Iceland Ferðaþjónusta bænda /
Bændaferðir is a licensed
tour organizer offering their
services, nationally as well as
internationally. The company
was founded in 1991 by the
Icelandic Farm Holidays
Assocation. The assocation
was founded in 1980, a couple
of years after the first farmers
offered home-stay at their
farms. The association itself
owns one-third of the company
and then individual members
of the association own the
remaining two-thirds. There
are nearly 180 members,
owners of farmhouses and
countryside properties offering
accommodation to travellers in
homes, guesthouses, country-
hotels and cottages, with a total
of 4800 beds.
However, as Sævar
Skaptason, managing director
of the company, says, “It
is important to stress that
Icelandic Farm Holidays is not
only a central booking office
for the farmhouses of its owners
but also a booking office for all
accommodation and activity
you can find in Iceland”.
In 2004, Icelandic Farm
Holidays started an outgoing
department which soon was
evolved by merger with
Bændaferðir – Farmers tour,
a company runned by Agnar
Guðnasson.
The first activities of
Bændaferðir – Farmers Tours
started in 1965 when the
Union of Icelandic farmers,
(Búnaðarfélag Íslands &
Stéttarsamband bænda) began
organizing travels abroad for
their members. The idea behind
this was to give farmers an
opportunity to see the outer
world and get both rest and
inspiration for their important
and at times heavy workload
at home. The man behind this
initiative was Agnar Guðnason
who became a legend and is
fondly remembered by those
who enjoyed travelling with
him.
The first tour to visit
settlements of Icelandic emi-
grants to North America was
organized by Agnar Guðnason
in 1975. Ever since Agnar
organized this tour, which was
a charter flight with 150 passen-
gers to Calgary AB, there has
been annually at least one tour
arranged by the company to
Icelandic settlements, mostly
to the festivals in North Dakota
and Manitoba during the festival
season in early August. It is
important to recall that when
this pioneer group of Agnar in
1975 visited Markerville, he
handed over a contribution of
ten thousand Canadian dollars
as a donation from the Farmers
Union in Iceland in memory of
Stephan G. Stephanson. This
was in support of the initiative
to make “Stephan’s house“ in
Markerville open for the public
as a museum.
Agnar speaks fondly of his
many travels and good friends
and collaborators in Canada
and the US. He said that
“Outstanding individuals like
Olla and Stefan J. Stefanson
and Marjorie and Ted Arnason
in Gimli and Helgi Austmann
as well as David Gislason and
many others were invaluable
in assisting me in making the
tours so enjoyable.” He also
stated that Helgi was always
by his side to assist. “I would
also like to recall the excellent
friendship and cooperation with
my friend Magnus Olafson in
North Dakota,” he said.
Hugrún Hannesdóttir is
head of the international tours
of Icelandic Farm Holidays.
Hugrún states that the company
is now planning to increase
their travel activity to North
America. “This is explained by
the fact that Jónas Þór has now
joined the company and his
expertise gives a new impetus
for us to take our tour activities
to Icelandic settlements in
North America to a new level,”
said Hugrún.
Agnar also recalled the
dynamic period of time
when the charter flights of
Air Viking to Winnipeg and
other destinations in Canada,
under the leadership of Guðni
Þórðarson, were at their peak.
Olla and Stefan and Marjorie
and Ted were pivotal in filling
the planes to go to Iceland
and had many invaluable
collaborators in Iceland
to arrange for the stay and
program for the many groups.
Árni Bjarnarson and others in
Akureyri made a tremendous
effort in this respect.
Sandra Gunnarsdóttir is
a licenced Iceland Guide in
charge of domestic group
operation at Icelandic Farm
Holidays. This coming
summer, 2012, there are four
heritage tours to Iceland open
for booking. Sandra stressed
that, “We are also able to assist
individuals and families who
want to design their own heritage
tour, to find pracical ways of
means of accommodation and
travel within Iceland including
accommodation at many of
the charming country hotels/
guesthouses the members of
Icelandic Farm Holidays can
offer. Furthermore we would
through the knowledge and
contacts of Jónas Þór give
guidance in finding information
about genealogy and finding
relatives.”
Icelandic Farm Holidays is
a growing company and has a
very good reputation in Iceland
and among its customers from
abroad.
Also bearing witness to the
high esteem of the company,
the president of Iceland,
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson gave
Icelandic Farm Holidays a
special recognition in May
2011 for their outstanding work
for strengthening Icelandic
exports and through that
provision of foreign currency
to the Icelandic economy.
According to Sævar
Skaptason, the vision of
Icelandic Farm Holidays is
to stay at the forefront in
environmentally friendly
tourism outside Iceland’s
capital city area. This policy
and its implementation in the
daily operations its members
will be a hallmark of the
quality in the tour organization
of the future. Sustainable
tourism development is an
ongoing process within the
company. Sævar says, “We
are proud of having been
certified by EarthCheck which
is an internationally recognized
program designed for the travel
industry.”
It will be interesting to
follow closely their new
activities as regards the mutual
visits between Iceland and
Icelandic settlements in North
America. Sævar Skaptason
managing director has the final
word, “We want to make a
difference and positive impact
in this respect but I would like
to stress that, in addition to
being a travel agency, offering
tours within Iceland and to
many destinations abroad, we
are always ready to meet the
needs for individual services.”
Icelandic Farm Holidays
stepping up heritage
tours
Agnar Guðnason
Jónas, Hugrún, Sandra and Sævar
PHotos: ALmAr Grímsson
Almar Grímsson
Hafnarfjörður, Iceland