The Traveller's Magazine
It’s no secret that Iceland is more popular than ever with tourists: the country has seen a huge increase in visitor numbers over the past few years. Now, a trip to the country could become even more expensive.
Iceland is not known as a budget destination: while there are plenty of cheap flights to Iceland available, once there prices for everything including food, drink and attractions can be relatively high. Now, a new cost could be added to travelers’ budgets: the country is considering implementing a new tourist tax.
According to the country’s tourism minister, Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, the huge number of visitors to the country is becoming too much. In an interview with Bloomberg, Gylfadottir said that some areas are struggling to cope with the sheer level of tourism: ““If we allow more people into areas like that, we’re losing what makes them special – unique pearls of nature that are a part of our image and of what we’re selling.”
To combat this, a number of measures could be put in place such as raising hotel tax, limiting the number of visitors to popular sites and making tour operators buy licenses.
What do you think about the suggested plans?
