Presentation of Iceland
Dear Friends,
I hold two ministerial portfolios in Iceland : I am minister of both Tourism and of Industry and Energy. At first glance, you might think there was nothing in common between the two, but if you look more closely you find there are in fact many reasons why they belong together.
Iceland is a volcanic island, mid-way between Europe and North America. In fact, you can even see the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates at
Þingvellir, where the ancient Icelandic parliament, the Althing, was founded in the year 930.
Underneath the ground there are huge reserves of natural heat which we use both for generating electricity and for heating our buildings. Just imagine how blessed we are – having renewable energy source that heats almost all the buildings in the country and, together with the hydroelectric power plants, provides electricity for industry and homes. And
all causing almost zero pollution!
These same immense forces have moulded the extraordinary natural environment of Iceland, which has been drawing ever-growing numbers of tourists each year. Roughly, the number of foreign tourists visiting Iceland has doubled every ten years since 1961. In that year, we had 13,000 foreign visitors. This year, the number will reach 600,000.
What is more, even when Iceland‘s volcanos decide to erupt and play havoc with air traffic across Northern Europe, it turns out in the end to be a successful publicity stunt for our tourist industry!
But just to be clear we had nothing to do with it, our eruptions are not man made, but they make us as a nation.
I will never forget when I had the phone call telling me that the Eyjafjallajökull eruption had started and that flights to Iceland would be effected. It came at the most sensitive time, just as summer was beginning – and it was possible that no-one would be able to travel to or from the country. My first thought was that all the foreign tourists would cancel their trips to Iceland. And my second thought was: “How can we reverse the situation?”
Iceland is a small country, and the channels of communication are short. This means that miracles can be achieved in a very short time. All the players in the tourist sector were called to a meeting the following day, and they worked out a plan of campaign to turn defeat into
victory. The plan was given the name Inspired by Iceland.
Iceland is known for its sagas, the gems of ancient literature that grew from the art of
story-telling. It was to this tradition that we turned in Inspired by Iceland. We had ordinary people in our country, and their guests and some famous visitors from abroad say in their own words that Iceland was still open and accessible, and that there was never a better opportunity to come and see it than that very summer, when the volcano was blowing. And the results were superb: the tourist season was a triumphant success. The number of tourists was the same as it had been the previous year – which was a relief, since a drop of about 20% had been forecast.
And now, in 2011, a whole year after the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull – the outlook is for a rise in tourist numbers, from half a million last year to 600,000. This means nearly two foreign visitors for every person living in the country. Not a bad ratio!
Tourism has become one of the most important sectors in the economy, taking its place beside fishing and aluminium production in terms of foreign-currency earnings.
But Iceland's tourist industry also faces a challenge, which has nothing to do with volcanos: how to draw more foreign visitors to the country over the winter months. The three summer months, June, July and August, are by far the busiest time in tourism in Iceland. We must open the eyes of the world to the charms of Iceland in the winter, my favourite season. Earlier this month we launched a three-year programme in which the government and the players in the tourist sector will be combining their energies on a follow-up to the Inspired by Iceland campaign. This time, the watchword is “Iceland All Year Around”. Yes, Iceland is open for business 365 days a year!
Travelling in Iceland is an experience! We have plenty of jewels, and now we are putting them into winter packaging for tourists to enjoy and experience. The promise of a unique experience is what has always attracted travellers to Iceland, and it will continue to do so.
We want to meet our visitors' expectations. As part of this, we have set up a special fund, the Tourist Destination Maintenance Fund, to support a major programme of construction, maintenance and conservation of facilities and the environment at our main tourist sites. We are also bringing more destinations into the tourist itinerary. And we are giving attention to considerations of quality and environmental protection. Our tourists come to Iceland to experience the unspoilt natural environment, and as soon as we let it lose this unspoilt quality, the country will lose its attraction. We are always on our toes.
I would be delighted to have as many Russians as possible visit Iceland – no matter whether this happens in winter, summer, spring or autumn.
Now, to help you find your compass bearings, and set your SatNav devices, Iceland is located east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle.
Iceland is relatively large in terms of its small population of 320,000 – making an average population density of 3.1 persons per square km, compared with 8.6 persons per square km in Russia. The thing that also enhances the remoteness of some parts of Iceland is the fact that over 200,000 of the population live in the southwest corner of the country. This creates a fun metropolitan area in Reykjavík and it surrounding area. In other parts of the country there are small towns and villages around the coast, while the centre is completely uninhabited. Everywhere in Iceland, nature plays a large role in everyday life. The weather is the most common topic of conversation and some say that at any time of the year you can experience all kinds of weather – within a single day! But remember - there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!
Flights to Iceland are more frequent than you might expect from the smallness of the population. The fact that Iceland lies right between Europe and North America has provided opportunities for Icelandic airlines, and as a result, for the tourist industry. Icelandic airline companies offer over 30 destinations in direct flights from Iceland and Icelandair alone operates over 180 flights a week and serves up to 9,000 passengers a day. As yet, there are no direct flights from Iceland to Russia, but flight times with connections are relatively short,
shorter than distances within Russia.
All-year kayaking, skiing and super jeep tours are examples of products that have been developed in addition to the tours to Iceland's most famous attractions, which run all year round. We are aware of the fact that Iceland isn't for those who go where the crowd goes. It's not for the conservative and predictable traveller. It's for those who travel the world to experience something different, to come back with stories to tell.
Perhaps I am not completely free of bias, but I love Iceland in the winter. It is an indescribable experience to lie in a geothermal hot-pot close to the shore on a calm, frosty night and look at the Northern Lights dancing overhead and hear the waves lapping on the beach. And if the wind picks up, you just get down a bit further into the warm water and listen to the breakers rolling in. If no Northern lights, then rain or snow is equally beautiful.
Thanks to all the geothermal water, natural hot springs or man-made hot-pots can be found
almost all round the country, and there is scarcely a village without a heated swimming pool. The most famous bathing place in Iceland is, of course, the Blue Lagoon, which almost all tourists visit at least once.
But Iceland has more than its natural environment: we also have a vibrant society and a
flourishing cultural life. New state-of-the art conference facilities were opened recently in the new Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre, Harpa. These enable us to host far larger conferences than before. Harpa is a striking landmark in the centre of Reykjavík with excellent accommodation facilities available within walking distance.
Iceland is for those who seek to enjoy life! It is for those who enjoy fine dining, with fresh
ingredients. In addition to the many outstanding restaurants in the Reykjavik area, producers and restaurants all over Iceland offer local food that gives the visitor a taste of Iceland. In recent years more emphasis has been placed on the production of local food and the results are great!
And, above all, we offer Icelandic hospitality and a warm welcome. This is why the INSPIRED winter campaign began with invitations in which visitors were offered the chance to experience something specially Icelandic.
Thank you – and I look forward to welcoming you to Iceland. A little tip in the end. If you
hear or read about a volcano erupting in Iceland on the news, book your next flight and visit us immediately, it is a unique experience.