Arrival figures hotting up for Iceland
Saturday, 15 Feb, 2010
0
Iceland experienced its highest ever visitor numbers in January as its non-euro status and improved accessibility look set to boost popularity further in 2010.
The destination suffered in 2009 as recession-hit Britain stayed at home – Brits provide the largest source market for Iceland.
But Iceland Tourist Board said the country saw an 11.6% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers from the UK in January – that amounts to 4,312 compared to 3,865 for the same month in 2009. That year, 61,619 visitors arrived from the UK.
Marketing manager UK Sigga Gróa Þórarinsdóttir said: “Despite the economic downturn, Iceland continues to be a popular destination for British holidaymakers year-round. Iceland still has an advantageous exchange rate compared with the euro, which means there has never been a better time for people to visit Iceland with UK travellers’ spending money going a lot further.
“2009 was a challenging year for Iceland but these figures are very encouraging and there is further cause for optimism as visitors will soon have a greater range of travel options, not only from the UK but also within Iceland.”
Iceland Express and Icelandair are to make the destination more accessible for British travellers. In June, there will be a new direct flight to Iceland’s second biggest city Akureyri while Birmingham is set to become the sixth UK airport serving Reykjavik.
Icelandair has doubled its services from Manchester and Glasgow for the winter 2009/2010 season already and Iceland Express has reintroduced flights from London Stansted.
UK travellers can already fly to Iceland from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester and Glasgow.
By Dinah Hatch
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers