The city with no cruises, no entrance fees, no taxes, large group fines, changes to Google Maps, signs that don’t point to paradise, and even harassment of tourists. These and many other “initiatives” in recent months seem to clearly indicate that the anti-tourism movement in some parts of the planet is far from abating. Meanwhile, all the winning hands appear to be in one field. In Iceland, nature has given them a place where the masses can go, but the risk is only for those who want to get there.

Visit an active volcano. That’s what we’ve been saying for most of the late 2023 and early months of this year. After several signals, a volcano erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. The news in this case is that Grindavík, Iceland, has reopened its volcanic area after six eruptions, attracting tourists who want to experience its natural power up close.

Problem? Although hazardous areas are restricted, access remains the responsibility of the “interested party” and, in fact, children and people with mobility impairments are prevented from entering due to the excessive heat and steam still radiating from the ground. Meanwhile, scientists are monitoring volcanic activity for the possibility of new eruptions in the coming months.

“No one will save you.” It is the official slogan for tourists. This is quite a paradox, considering that it is the area with the biggest tourist attraction in the region. In fact, as Gunnar Schram, chief of police for the Suðurnes district on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, explained to the Guardian, “Tourists who come to Iceland have never seen the lava up close. If it weren’t for the barriers surrounding Grindavík, most of the city would be under lava today. “It’s not hard to see that people are interested in this,” he notes.

In other words, the temptation to approach an active volcano is so strong that even the person responsible for controlling the behavior of people at the Grindavík eruption site, which opened to the public this Monday, cannot deny its majesty and “danger”. ”, all in the same bag.

“Ghost” city. The truth is that there isn’t much to visit in the area. Despite its tourist popularity these days, the eruptions forced the evacuation of a large part of the Grindavík community. The town, which had a population of 3,800 before the incident, is almost deserted today; Homes and businesses are in ruins and most properties have been bought by the government.

In fact, many of the few residents who returned did so with a clear idea: to reopen businesses such as Grindavík Guesthouse, whose appeal was its proximity to the lava fields.

Tourism yes but no. Obviously, this area attracts people attracted by the natural landscapes and the unique experience of walking near fresh lava, but, as we said before, the authorities also clearly warn about the risks. Meanwhile, data managed by the local tourism board reports a gradual recovery in visits, with 1.7 million visitors arriving in Iceland between January and September 2024.

Data that is not well visible to everyone. We reported in June that Iceland, faced with the threat of overcrowding and overcrowding, was working on how to adjust its fiscal policy to avoid saturating the island nation with an ever-increasing flow of tourists. Like? This year, officials rolled back the tourism tax imposed before the pandemic and acknowledged they were working to make changes to tax models. Purpose: to benefit from tourism without falling into overtourism.

One more indicator. Moreover, this was not the first time that the Icelandic Government hinted that it would use taxes to avoid the effects of tourist saturation. In September last year, while Katrín Jakobsdóttir was still in office as prime minister, officials agreed to look at tax policy as a way to protect themselves from overtravelers. “Tourism in Iceland has increased exponentially over the last decade, and this obviously affects not only the climate,” Jakobsdottir warned in an interview with Bloomberg.

“Also, most of our guests visit nature, and this creates pressure,” the leader emphasized. Bloomberg pointed out that one of the strategies the government will put on the table to stop the excessive tourist bill is to increase taxes on visitors staying in the country. Although Jakobsdottir explained that the rates applied will not be high, at least initially.

The “explosion” of explosions. All this means that Icelandic tourism faces a complex scenario. As we can see, throughout the year the country was subjected to volcanic eruptions that affected some of its most touristic areas. Sustained eruptions have threatened places like the coastal city of Grindavik with death and forced the evacuation of the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a popular destination with visitors. And despite this challenge, Iceland’s tourism industry is only growing.

In 2010, the country recorded only 1.77 million tourists; This figure is well below the 2.5 million figure it will reach by the middle of this decade, if predictions are correct. Its economic weight has become such that by 2023 the tourism sector will represent 8.5% of GDP; This is significantly above the 7.5% in 2022, or the 8.2% it represented pre-COVID.

Tourism and danger. As can be seen, the reopening of the area around the volcano is still controversial. An area where visits are somewhat encouraged, but visitors are warned: Those who venture outside safe and restricted areas will not receive any rescue services should they need them.

A kind of slogan of the anti-tourism movement. Grindavík’s volcanic appeal highlights Iceland’s duality as a destination for the masses and its exposure to natural hazards. While local tourism companies have begun offering guided tours to demonstrate the impact of eruptions and changes in the landscape, the intended development of sustainable volcanic tourism faces challenges as unpredictable as the nature of eruptions and potential damage. To both visitors and resources.

Image | Ruslan Valeev (Unsplash), Sparkle Motion

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