Iceland and Greenland; two names that wildly misrepresent the nature of their respective territories. When the Norsemen landed on Iceland and began to colonize it, they chose to call Iceland so that people wouldn’t feel the urge follow them to this island that was covered with many things other than ice. When most of the arable land was claimed (there still wasn’t all that much of it until the earth began warming), Greenland was advertised as the place to go even though it as significantly less hospitable than Iceland. Now, Iceland is seeing a resurgence of tourism due to it’s unique and beautiful atmosphere, as well as the hospitality of its inhabitants.
Over the past year, Iceland has seen a boom in tourism that doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon. Just last year, the number of visitors to Iceland grew by 24% when compared to the previous year. That means that a total of 970,000 people visited a country with a population of just around 329,100. In May of this year, tourism in Iceland has increased by 36% when compared to the same period last year; 91,023 people visited. Where are these tourists coming from? Surprisingly enough, more than a third are coming from the United States; over 20,000 Americans visited Iceland last year, an increase of 76% when compared to the year previous.
Why is this happening? The first and main reason would have to be that the number of flights to Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik Airport, grew by 47%. But the other reason is simply that Iceland is finally getting the recognition it deserves. The country is home to some of nature’s most beautiful and striking landscapes as well as one of Europe’s most hospital and polite cultures. Iceland is an incredibly unique country and I’m glad that it’s finally getting the attention it has so richly deserved for so many years.
If you’d like to read more, the link is here.
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