Still struggling to overcome the deep crisis that set in when its major banks collapsed in late 2008, Iceland is hoping the recent surge in tourist numbers will help put it on the route to recovery.
Whale safaris, geo-thermal spas and a highly favourable exchange rate are among the factors currently attracting thousands of tourists to Iceland.
The Icelandic currency has shed over 50% of its value in 18 months. Currently €1 equates to around 172 krónur.
The small, north-Atlantic island just below the Arctic Circle abounds with natural beauty, from volcanic landscapes and geysers to the near-round-the-clock daylight in summer.
As worldwide tourism figures were dragged down by the global downturn in 2009, the Blue Lagoon geo-thermal spa, located some 40km southwest of Reykjavik, and the rest of Iceland saw its own tourist trade boom.
Visitor numbers jumped 12% last year to around 1.23m people, or about four times Iceland’s population, with German, French and British visitors topping the list, and the trend is set to continue this year.
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The financial crisis brought a double windfall for the island’s tourism sector, with low prices attracting foreigners while Icelanders hit by the crisis and the staggering cost of foreign currency, have increasingly decided to holiday at home.
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