Iceland - Tourism, travel, and recreation



Iceland offers such diverse and unusual natural attractions as active volcanoes, glaciers, and hot springs. Among popular participatory sports are swimming (possible year-round in geothermal pools), salmon fishing, pony trekking, and golf. Tourists may arrange to stay in modern hotels or guest houses, on farms, or in youth hostels.

Citizens of the Scandinavian countries do not require a passport when visiting Iceland. Residents of some 60 countries (including the US, UK, and Canada) do not need visas for stays of up to three months but do need valid passports. Each visitor must have a return ticket, a reentry permit to the country of origin or permission to enter a third country, and sufficient funds for the intended period of the visit.

The number of tourist arrivals in Iceland in 2000 was 302,913. Receipts from these visits were $227 million. That year there were 6,045 hotel rooms with 12,471 beds and an occupancy rate of 46%.

The daily cost of staying in Iceland, according to 2001 US government estimates, is $271 between May and September and between $193 and $261 at all other times.

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: