From Iceland — “Let's Sell Hunting Licenses For Shooting Dirt Poor Backpacker Scum”

“Let’s Sell Hunting Licenses For Shooting Dirt Poor Backpacker Scum”

Published October 17, 2017

Elías Þórsson
Photo by
Art Bicnick

You could say that a conference on employment in Húsavík in north Iceland, got heated this weekend, with plenty of controversial proposals regarding foreign tourists being put forth, reports local paper Vikudagur.

The conference discussed how best to make money of tourists with several proposals being put up to a vote. One edgy idea, however, did not make it on the ballot:

“The Employment Conference of Þingeyingar agrees to sell wealthy Americans hunting licences for chasing down and shooting dirt poor backpacker scum, which we are unable to make any money off otherwise,” an attendee proposed in response to a debate about innovations in the tourism industry.

Americans are rich, but perilous fools

The main topic of discussion was the question on every Icelander’s lips at the moment: How do we make more money off tourists? Birgir Steingrímsson, aka Bibbi í Hlyn, said that the aim should be to lure as many wealthy Americans to the area. Another attendee, Sigurður Gunnarsson from Ytri-Hlíð, however, disagreed claiming that the monied group were nothing but “perilous fools.”

But Bibbi í Hlyn replied that their character didn’t matter, what mattered was the money that could be made. It would be possible to overcharge them for hunting licenses, not just for fishing, but also for shooting geese, auk, rock ptarmigans, seals and other animals.

He said it was vital to find ways to make money off wealthy foreigners as the country was overflowing with dirt poor backpacker scum that didn’t bring a single króna into the economy.

Update: Just to be clear the original article is a satirical piece.

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