As tourist numbers continue spiking, a tourism official from the northwest reminds people that there is still a lot of unspoilt nature in the Westfjörds.
About one million tourists will visit Iceland this year and, if the current trend continues, that number will reach 2 million by 2020. However, most of these tourists have been concentrated in the southwest, especially around the capital area.
Rúnar Karlsson, one of the owners of Borea Adventures, would like to remind people that there are other parts of the country to explore.
“The marketting of Iceland has, for the most part, revolved around the southwest corner for many, many years,” he told Bæjarins bestu. “People see brochures with pictures of Gulfoss and Geysir and naturally want to see those places.”
Upon arrival though, he says, many tourists are disappointed by how touristy these places have become, expecting to have arrived at a place few others have discovered. Rúnar points out that, according to recent polls, many tourists who travel to the Westfjörds are not visiting Iceland for the first time, and have already visited some of the more well-known destinations in the country.
“My feeling is that this has changed this summer,” he said. “We’re getting more people [in the Westfjörds] who are visiting Iceland for the first time.”
For more on what there is to offer in the Westfjörds, visit Grapevine’s Travel Destinations section.
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