Hallgrímskirkja church in downtown Reykjavík is reaping an unexpected windfall from the tourism boom, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports, as charging people to use the church elevator is expected to yield nearly 230 million ISK (1.9 million USD/1.7 million EUR). The funds are used to pay for the upkeep of the church, necessary repairs and upgrades as well as to pay for extra staff which has been hired to deal with the growing numbers of visitors.
Read more: Seven interesting facts about one of Reykjavík’s best known landmarks, Hallgrímskirkja church
One of the priests of Hallgrímskirkja told RÚV that more than 600,000 people visited the church last year. A third of those took the elevator up to the top of the tower to enjoy the view. The entrance fee to the tower last year was 800 ISK (6.4 USD/5.8 EUR), which yielded roughly 160 million ISK (1.3 million USD/ 1.2 million EUR) in revenue for the church. This year the church is expecting a 30% increase in the number of visitors to the tower, and with a 100 ISK increase in the entrance fee the church is expecting the revenue should be 230 million ISK.
This revenue is crucial for the church, according to RÚV, since the church would otherwise have serious trouble paying for expensive maintenance or hiring new staff, both of which have been made necessary by the growing numbers of visitors every year.
Read more: Offices in Hallgrímskirkja church tower abandoned because the elevator is busy carrying visitors
Yesterday we at Iceland Insider reported on the problems caused by large numbers of visitors at Hallgrímskirkja church. The church has been forced to abandon offices in the church tower because the only elevator in the tower is simply too small and slow to service both staff and the crowds who wish to travel to the top of the tower to enjoy the view. Among the offices which had to be abandoned were those of the Icelandic Bible Society. The pastor of Hallgrímskirkja hopes that the church will be able to install a new and faster elevator by early next year.
Hallgrímskirkja church in downtown Reykjavík is reaping an unexpected windfall from the tourism boom, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports, as charging people to use the church elevator is expected to yield nearly 230 million ISK (1.9 million USD/1.7 million EUR). The funds are used to pay for the upkeep of the church, necessary repairs and upgrades as well as to pay for extra staff which has been hired to deal with the growing numbers of visitors.
Read more: Seven interesting facts about one of Reykjavík’s best known landmarks, Hallgrímskirkja church
One of the priests of Hallgrímskirkja told RÚV that more than 600,000 people visited the church last year. A third of those took the elevator up to the top of the tower to enjoy the view. The entrance fee to the tower last year was 800 ISK (6.4 USD/5.8 EUR), which yielded roughly 160 million ISK (1.3 million USD/ 1.2 million EUR) in revenue for the church. This year the church is expecting a 30% increase in the number of visitors to the tower, and with a 100 ISK increase in the entrance fee the church is expecting the revenue should be 230 million ISK.
This revenue is crucial for the church, according to RÚV, since the church would otherwise have serious trouble paying for expensive maintenance or hiring new staff, both of which have been made necessary by the growing numbers of visitors every year.
Read more: Offices in Hallgrímskirkja church tower abandoned because the elevator is busy carrying visitors
Yesterday we at Iceland Insider reported on the problems caused by large numbers of visitors at Hallgrímskirkja church. The church has been forced to abandon offices in the church tower because the only elevator in the tower is simply too small and slow to service both staff and the crowds who wish to travel to the top of the tower to enjoy the view. Among the offices which had to be abandoned were those of the Icelandic Bible Society. The pastor of Hallgrímskirkja hopes that the church will be able to install a new and faster elevator by early next year.
