Iceland review - 2013, Qupperneq 55

ICELAND REVIEW 53
Parad-ice Land, volcanicland,
Dreamland, Waterfall Land,
Heavenland… This is what
Iceland means to participants
in the latest Promote Iceland
tourism initiative. While some have taken
the ‘Iceland by Another Name’ campaign
too literally—Iceland won’t actually be
renamed—these suggestions do reflect the
country’s image quite clearly.
wHere’S waLDo?
In a survey conducted by Market and
Media Research for the Icelandic Tourist
Board in 2011, 62 percent of foreign
tourists cited nature as the reason for
their visit. In 2011, 130,000 people visited
Landmannalaugar, a highland paradise for
its multicolor rhyolite mountains, vast lava
fields and natural hot springs. However, 40
percent of those visitors remarked that the
area was too crowded, as stated in a survey
by Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir, associate pro-
fessor in tourism studies at the University
of Iceland.
“The limit has been reached; Landmanna-
laugar can hardly handle any more people.
The facilities won’t allow for it and the aura
of vastness and wilderness is gone,” com-
ments Minister for the Environment and
Natural Resources Svandís Svavarsdóttir.
And the environment suffers, she adds.
“The geothermal area cannot easily cope
with mass tourism.” She also mentions off-
road driving as a major problem.
The influx of tourists raises other con-
cerns as well. MP for The Movement
Þór Saari caused a fuss when express-
ing his views on the subject on nation-
al radio last October. “We who live in
Iceland cannot enjoy what the country
has to offer anymore, the majestic wild and
untouched nature, because there are peo-
ple everywhere,” he comments. “Coming
to Landmannalaugar, which is spectacular,
has turned into a miserable experience.”
Erna Hauksdóttir, director of the Iceland
Travel Industry Association (SAF) points
out that only some areas are overcrowded.
“If you want to be by yourself, drive to
the West or East Fjords, for example. If you
visit the best known destinations, you’re
bound to run into other people. Iceland is
a big country; there’s enough room.”
THe one MiLLion FixaTion
“I don’t know why there’s so much drama
about the one million tourists,” exclaims
Erna, stating that accommodating all these
people is no problem if done right. “Firstly,
Keeping paradise
Iceland saw yet another record year in tourism in 2012 with
close to 700,000 visits by foreign travelers, more than double
the population of 320,000. According to forecasts, visitors could
reach one million by 2016. Is it all good or too much to handle?