The situation in the tourism industry in Iceland was discussed at the annual meeting of the Tourism Association. The event was attended by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Trade Lilya Alfredsdottir, head of the popular tourist site “Blue Lagoon” Grimur Samundsen and the Deputy Secretary General of the Icelandic Employers' Confederation, Anna Hrefna Ingimundardottir.
Participants agreed that there are many opportunities that can help Iceland's tourism industry recover from the damage caused by the coronavirus and the restrictions imposed on stop its further spread. In this regard, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Trade Lilja Alfredsdottir highlighted the fact that tourism around the world is facing unprecedented challenges after the pandemic and assured that the government is determined to help the industry, as tourism is “one of the pillars of the Icelandic economy”.
«It's good to see the spirit of optimism reigning in the industry and the situation with new bookings improving rapidly. However, we must remain vigilant and support the tourism market as needed, including by advertising Iceland on international platforms, — participants of the meeting noted.
It should be noted that almost 40 percent of foreign exchange earnings in the Icelandic economy come from the tourism sector.