Preliminary figures of the Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs) indicate that tourism, as a proportion of GDP, amounted to 5% in 2021, compared with 3,9% in 2020. For comparison, these estimates were, on average, 8.1% in the period from 2016 to 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A 67% increase in foreign overnight stays
Main tourism indicators point to an increased activity in tourism in 2021 compared with 2020. Overnight stays in registered accommodations amounted to 5.1 million in 2021 compared with 3.3 in 2020, corresponding to an increase of 55%. Foreign overnight stays increased by 67% in the same period. Tourists travelling to Iceland via Keflavik Airport were 690 thousand in 2021, an increase of 44% from 2020.
About the data
The Tourism Satellite Accounts are used as a measurement of tourism within the national accounting framework. A more detailed publication of the Tourism Satellite Accounts is scheduled in June 2022.