Residents of Mývatnssveit region in North Iceland have voiced their concern regarding increased tourism in the area and the impact it has on their daily lives. 5 hotel projects are under development in the region which is known for its unique beauty and the stunning Lake Mývatn.
The largest construction project underway in the Mývatnssveit area is a 100-room hotel in Grímsstaðir, owned and operated by local hotel chain Íslandshótel. Other projects include Icelandair Hotels’ plans to remodel and restore the old hotel at Reykjahlíð and Hótel Gígur at Skútustaðir will be expanded.
In addition to those plans, the newly constructed Hótel Mývatnssveit was taken into use last year, and Hótel Laxá and Sel-Hótel Mývatn were both recently extended.
While tourism has had a positive impact on the region’s economy, residents are concerned about the rate at which the hotels are being built and worry about tourism’s impact on such a rural area. The chairman of Skútustaðahreppur district council Yngvi Ragnar Kristjánsson told Morgunblaðið that residents do not want to see the area overrun by hotels and want to establish clearer planning guidelines to ensure the orderly development of the area and to maintain its natural beauty.
Residents of Mývatnssveit region in North Iceland have voiced their concern regarding increased tourism in the area and the impact it has on their daily lives. 5 hotel projects are under development in the region which is known for its unique beauty and the stunning Lake Mývatn.
The largest construction project underway in the Mývatnssveit area is a 100-room hotel in Grímsstaðir, owned and operated by local hotel chain Íslandshótel. Other projects include Icelandair Hotels’ plans to remodel and restore the old hotel at Reykjahlíð and Hótel Gígur at Skútustaðir will be expanded.
In addition to those plans, the newly constructed Hótel Mývatnssveit was taken into use last year, and Hótel Laxá and Sel-Hótel Mývatn were both recently extended.
While tourism has had a positive impact on the region’s economy, residents are concerned about the rate at which the hotels are being built and worry about tourism’s impact on such a rural area. The chairman of Skútustaðahreppur district council Yngvi Ragnar Kristjánsson told Morgunblaðið that residents do not want to see the area overrun by hotels and want to establish clearer planning guidelines to ensure the orderly development of the area and to maintain its natural beauty.
