The Hot Button: Tourism Safety

The hot button issue that Icelanders have been going on about this past month is tourism safety. It used to be somewhat funny to point out the reckless shenanigans of tourists. The laughter stopped, however, when someone once again drowned at the beautiful but notoriously hazardous Reynisfjara beach. Since then, it has been pointed out that not all of these accidents are the result of foolhardy tourists—many places around Iceland in fact lack hazard signs and safety ropes that could help reduce risk. It also didn’t help that that “Inspired By Iceland” video includes someone dancing on a chunk of ice at Jökulsárlón, which is highly inadvisable, as they’re known to flip over suddenly as the the visible portion melts. The government currently has a plan of action in the works to amend this. In the meantime, just assume that any place you visit in the Icelandic countryside is a deathtrap waiting to embrace you in its icy maw.