Worries about the Icelandic tourism industry having peaked and an impending contraction or drop in visitor numbers appear to be premature, the latest figures from Statistics Iceland suggest. Overnight stays at hotels in September increased 13% compared to the year before.
The double digit increase between 2017 and 18 is a sign that the trend of slower growth, which began in the fall of 2017, might be reversing.
According to Statistics Iceland there were 1,074,000 stays in all types of accommodation in September, compared to 966,000 the year before, an increase of 11.2%. The data also suggests shifts in traveler behavior. While the number of people staying at hotels and guesthouses increased by 11%, the number who stayed at vacation rentals booked through sites like Airbnb dropped by 11%. The drop in the number of stays in Airbnbs was made up by a dramatic 33% increase in the number of people who picked other types of accommodation, including RVs or campsites.
Worries about the Icelandic tourism industry having peaked and an impending contraction or drop in visitor numbers appear to be premature, the latest figures from Statistics Iceland suggest. Overnight stays at hotels in September increased 13% compared to the year before.
The double digit increase between 2017 and 18 is a sign that the trend of slower growth, which began in the fall of 2017, might be reversing.
According to Statistics Iceland there were 1,074,000 stays in all types of accommodation in September, compared to 966,000 the year before, an increase of 11.2%. The data also suggests shifts in traveler behavior. While the number of people staying at hotels and guesthouses increased by 11%, the number who stayed at vacation rentals booked through sites like Airbnb dropped by 11%. The drop in the number of stays in Airbnbs was made up by a dramatic 33% increase in the number of people who picked other types of accommodation, including RVs or campsites.
