The total number of overnight stays in November 2018 was relatively unchanged from the previous year. Overnight stays in hotels increased by 1%, while hotel occupancy rates were 58% and decreased by 5 percentage points from November 2017. Over the same period, hotel bedroom supply has increased by 10%.
Overnight stays in all accommodation in November were 542,000, compared with 544,000 in November last year. Overnight stays in hotels and guesthouses were 351,200, overnight stays in apartments, youth hostels, campsites etc. were 107,800, and overnight stays through websites such as Airbnb were approximately 83,000. There was a 0.5% decrease in the total number of overnight stays in November between years, thereof a 0.7% decrease in hotels and guesthouses, 12.5% increase in other types of accommodation and a 13% decrease in private accommodation through Airbnb etc. Additionally, overnight stays in cars other than at campsites were 6,000 and the number of overnight stays with friends and relatives, through exchanges or in other places where no payment was made, was 18,000.
5% decrease in occupancy rate for hotel bedrooms in November
Overnight stays in hotels in November 2018 were 306,500, which is a 1% increase from November last year. Around 67% of all overnight stays were in the Capital region, 205,000.
Occupancy rate for bedrooms in hotels was 57.6% in November 2018 and decreased by 5.1 percentage points from November 2017, when it was 62.7%. Over the same period, the number of hotel bedrooms has increased by 9.8%. The occupancy rate for bedrooms in November was highest in the Capital area, or 77.2%.
| Supply and occupancy rates of hotel bedrooms | ||||||
| Number of Hotel bedrooms in November | Room occupancy rate in November | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | % | 2017 | 2018 | pp | |
| Total | 9,217 | 10,124 | 9.8% | 62.7% | 57.6% | -5.1 |
| Capital region | 4,896 | 5,094 | 4.0% | 80.5% | 77.2% | -3.3 |
| Southwest | 629 | 628 | -0.2% | 59.7% | 58.3% | -1.4 |
| West and Westfjords | 494 | 725 | 46.8% | 32.3% | 24.4% | -7.9 |
| North | 906 | 1,140 | 25.8% | 26.5% | 24.1% | -2.4 |
| East | 453 | 394 | -13.0% | 12.8% | 12.4% | -0.4 |
| South | 1,839 | 2,143 | 16.5% | 54.5% | 48.9% | -5.6 |
Nights spent by foreign tourists were 269,800, which accounted for 88% of the total number of overnight stays in November. USA residents had the greatest number of overnight stays (82,000), then residents of the UK (75,800) and China (15,000). Overnight stays of Icelanders in November were 36,700.
Over the most recent 12 month period, from December 2017 to November 2018, the total number of overnight stays in hotels was 4,460,000, which is a 5% increase from the previous year.
| Overnight stays in hotels | ||||||
| November | December-November | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | % | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | % | |
| Total | 304,696 | 306,483 | 1 | 4,260,425 | 4,459,635 | 5 |
| Capital region | 209,989 | 205,010 | -2 | 2,598,145 | 2,603,333 | 0 |
| Southwest | 20,526 | 19,445 | -5 | 296,162 | 312,377 | 5 |
| West and Westfjords | 8,355 | 9,464 | 13 | 191,317 | 243,487 | 27 |
| Northwest and Northeast | 12,070 | 14,161 | 17 | 296,398 | 319,197 | 8 |
| East | 2,962 | 2,502 | -16 | 108,185 | 101,789 | -6 |
| South | 50,794 | 55,901 | 10 | 770,218 | 879,452 | 14 |
| Citizenship | ||||||
| Icelanders | 33,911 | 36,720 | 8 | 408,594 | 454,777 | 11 |
| Foreign visitors | 270,785 | 269,763 | 0 | 3,851,831 | 4,004,858 | 4 |
Numbers for 2018 are preliminary, as well as 2017 data for overnight stays for unpaid and private apartment accommodation.