Iceland review - 2013, Síða 58

56 ICELAND REVIEW
salaries,” Steingrímur points out. “vehicles
must fulfill safety standards, for example,
and buildings fire prevention standards. And
competition is compromised. The tourism
industry should be ambitious for its own
sake and contribute to society, pay taxes.”

wonDerS anD woeS oF
winTer
Promote Iceland’s three-year ‘Iceland – All
Year Round’ campaign, which kicked off
in 2011, aims to extend the tourism season
and tempt tourists on winter breaks. “Many
opportunities lie in marketing the frost and
cold. Bathing in hot springs in winter is
dramatic and more of a unique experience
in a cloud of steam in subzero temperatures
than in summer,” states Steingrímur.
“There’s a limit to what extent that
is possible,” comments Þór on promot-
ing Iceland as a winter destination. “I’ve
watched people blow down Bankastræti
[shopping street in downtown Reykjavík]
in January, February, and the window for
traveling is small because of the sparse day-
light. It’s a shame that people can’t travel
much in winter as the season is beautiful but
conditions can be dangerous, roads slippery
or impassable.”
“We must be careful not to lead tourists
on and explain that traveling to Iceland in
winter is an adventure,” stresses Steingrímur.
“They can become grounded due to bad
weather or get caught in blizzards. But
then again, they might experience clear and
frosty weather and see northern lights and
the winter sun. People must be prepared.”
“Last year we saw an increase of 40,000
tourists over the winter. Not all tourism
companies participated but many areas saw
a great increase, especially the capital region,
South and Northeast Iceland,” says Erna
of the campaign’s initial results. “Tourists
will always peak in summer—that’s when
the world is on vacation. But there are also
many people who go on winter breaks.”
Ólöf is cautious about speaking of suc-
cess just yet. “There has been a signifi-
cant increase both during peak season and
off-season. The annual curve for arrivals
isn’t significantly different. However, we’ve
the frozen Lake Mývatn and Dettifoss
waterfall.”
“It’s rental cars that spread people over
the country and 40 percent of tourists use
rental cars,” states Erna. “We are trying to
establish direct flights to airports other
than Keflavík and it’s what we dream of
but the question is whether it’s realistic. It
depends on the airlines and they’re not in
it for charity.”
CoSTS anD BeneFiTS
Despite the upturn, some tourism opera-
tors find it hard to make ends meet.
“Outside the capital region companies
earn well in summer but the profits are
eaten up over the winter,” explains Erna.
“To run a hotel for only twelve weeks of
the year is expensive,” agrees Ólöf, high-
lighting the necessity of creating as many
annual jobs as possible. “The industry must
be sustainable, just like carrot farming and
power plants.”
Ólöf also feels the industry should focus
on how much tourists contribute to the
economy. In fact, statistics indicate that in
spite of the number of visitors going up,
proportionally, they are spending less than
in past years. An Arion Bank survey con-
cluded that while in 2004, tourists spent
ISK 55,000 on average per day in Iceland,
that number had dropped to 35,000 in
2011 (from USD 435 to 277), compared
to fixed pricing in ISK. “With the global
economic crisis people spend less when
they travel. This is not just happening in
Iceland,” reasons Steingrímur.
The minister favors targeting higher-
budget tourists through winter activities.
“We must have exciting options for every-
one. Winter tours generally cost more,
they’re shorter and more expensive per
day—it goes hand-in-hand.” But he also
stresses, “I’d be the last person to fend off
low-budget travelers. As a young man I
backpacked across Australia on 30 dollars.
Today I have more money to spend during
my travels—the broke student will return
someday.”
According to Erna, the most valuable
tourists are those who come for confer-
cashed in more during off-season than in
previous years and the tourism season is
changing.” She attributes this to an effec-
tive marketing strategy, increased number of
flights and the attention caused by volcanic
eruptions.
new aTTraCTionS
“Landmannalaugar is under strain and
other destinations must be promoted,” says
Erna, mentioning Látrabjarg as an example.
Fourteen kilometers long and 440 meters
high, it’s the largest bird cliff in Europe
and (excluding the Azores), the continent’s
westernmost point. “It’s much grander than
Nordkapp [in Norway’s far north],” remarks
Erna. “It takes three hours to fly there
from Oslo—Norway is such a long coun-
try—then you enter a building and get a
certificate. A great number of people go on
this long and expensive trip. Why don’t we
market Westkapp? We need more magnets.”
“There are many more treks than
Laugavegur,” adds Svandís of the coun-
try’s most popular hiking route from
Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. “We have
to think outside the box and open our eyes
to new possibilities.
“Last summer I went on a four-day
hike along Hólmsá river, from Hrífunes to
Strútur,” the minister adds, referring to a thus
far overlooked area near Kirkjubæjarklaustur
in South Iceland. “It was the first time the
Icelandic Touring Association organized a
trip there and it was absolutely amazing.”
The minister also points out the growth
in cultural tourism. A recent survey found
that attendees at Iceland Airwaves, a five-
day music festival held in the capital, spent
ISK 1.1 billion (USD 8.8 million) last year,
66 percent more than in 2011. “Events like
Airwaves give a major boost to the economy
and put minimal strain on the environment.
This field should be expanded further.”
“The number of areas visited must be
increased, such as with direct international
flights to North or East Iceland,” agrees
Steingrímur. “I’m very interested in lob-
bying for direct flights to Akureyri… The
region has many things to offer: skiing,
northern lights, whale watching in Húsavík,
TOURIsM