Last year did not only deliver more foreign travellers to Iceland: More Icelanders also travelled abroad than at any time since the 2008 financial crash. According to a poll prepared by the polling firm MMR for the Icelandic Tourism Board shows that 71% of Icelanders travelled abroad in 2015, more than at any time in the past seven years.
Read more: GDP of Iceland projected to grow 4.2% in 2016, unemployment and inflation to remain low
Aside from the growing number of Icelanders who travelled abroad the poll showed little change in Icelanders’ travel patterns. People who travelled abroad went on average on 2.2 trips, and spent on average a little more than two weeks abroad. The average time Icelanders spent abroad in 2015 was 17.5 nights, which is virtually unchanged from 2014.
As in previous years, most Icelanders travelled to Europe. 34% travelled to Spain or Portugal, 26.9% to the British Isles, Britain or Ireland, and 18.6% travelled to Germany. Scandinavia was also a popular destination. 23.1% travelled to Denmark, 13.9% travelled to Sweden and 12% to Norway. Almost a fourth of those who travelled abroad, 22.4% visited the US.
Read more: Disposable incomes in Iceland the second highest in the Nordics
Most of the trips, 43%, were city visits. The second most common objective of trips abroad was to visit friends or family, 36%. A third, 33.6%, went to spend time at a beach or resort while a fifth reported to having travelled abroad on business or in connection to their job.
Last year did not only deliver more foreign travellers to Iceland: More Icelanders also travelled abroad than at any time since the 2008 financial crash. According to a poll prepared by the polling firm MMR for the Icelandic Tourism Board shows that 71% of Icelanders travelled abroad in 2015, more than at any time in the past seven years.
Read more: GDP of Iceland projected to grow 4.2% in 2016, unemployment and inflation to remain low
Aside from the growing number of Icelanders who travelled abroad the poll showed little change in Icelanders’ travel patterns. People who travelled abroad went on average on 2.2 trips, and spent on average a little more than two weeks abroad. The average time Icelanders spent abroad in 2015 was 17.5 nights, which is virtually unchanged from 2014.
As in previous years, most Icelanders travelled to Europe. 34% travelled to Spain or Portugal, 26.9% to the British Isles, Britain or Ireland, and 18.6% travelled to Germany. Scandinavia was also a popular destination. 23.1% travelled to Denmark, 13.9% travelled to Sweden and 12% to Norway. Almost a fourth of those who travelled abroad, 22.4% visited the US.
Read more: Disposable incomes in Iceland the second highest in the Nordics
Most of the trips, 43%, were city visits. The second most common objective of trips abroad was to visit friends or family, 36%. A third, 33.6%, went to spend time at a beach or resort while a fifth reported to having travelled abroad on business or in connection to their job.
