Overnight stays in all accommodation in September were 1,074,000, compared with 966,000 in September last year. Overnight stays in hotels and guesthouses were 604,200, overnight stays in apartments, youth hostels, campsites etc. were 291,600, and overnight stays through websites such as Airbnb were 178,000. There was an 11% increase in the number of overnight stays in September between years, thereof an 11% increase for hotels and guesthouses, 11% decrease in Airbnb and a 33% increase for other types of accommodation.
Additionally, overnight stays in cars other than at campsites were 27,000 and the number of overnight stays with friends and relatives, through exchanges or in other places where no payment was made, was 31,500.
Statistics Iceland is currently reviewing the results of the Border Survey carried out on behalf of the Icelandic Tourist Board and Statistics Iceland. This review might affect the number of overnight stays in the years 2017 and 2018.
13% increase in overnight stays in hotels in September Overnight stays in hotels in September 2018 were 434,700, which is a 13% increase from September last year. Around 52% of all overnight stays were in the Capital region, or 227,500.
Nights spent by foreign tourists were 399,500, which accounted for 92% of the total number of overnight stays in September. USA residents had the greatest number of overnight stays (161,600), then residents of UK (32,900) and Germany (31,100). Overnight stays of Icelanders in September were 35,100.
Over the most recent 12 month period, from October 2017 to September 2018, the total number of overnight stays in hotels was 4,423,400, which is a 5% increase from the previous 12 months.
| Overnight stays in hotels | ||||||
| September | October–September | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | % | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | % | |
| Total | 383,286 | 434,690 | 13 | 4,231,301 | 4,423,435 | 5 |
| Capital region | 209,851 | 227,544 | 8 | 2,595,486 | 2,616,971 | 1 |
| Southwest | 28,415 | 31,768 | 12 | 292,843 | 310,125 | 6 |
| West and Westfjords | 21,724 | 29,839 | 37 | 185,410 | 223,234 | 20 |
| Northwest and Northeast | 37,833 | 41,034 | 8 | 294,080 | 308,671 | 5 |
| East | 14,377 | 15,421 | 7 | 107,087 | 101,364 | -5 |
| South | 71,086 | 89,084 | 25 | 756,395 | 863,070 | 14 |
| Icelanders | 33,443 | 35,149 | 5 | 405,764 | 455,300 | 12 |
| Foreign visitors | 349,843 | 399,541 | 14 | 3,825,537 | 3,968,135 | 4 |
77% occupancy rate for bedrooms in September Occupancy rate for bedrooms in hotels was 77.0% in September 2018 and increased by 1.1 percentage points from September 2017, when it was 75.9%. Over the same period, the number of hotel bedrooms has increased by 8.8%. The occupancy rate for bedrooms in September was highest in the Southwest, or 90.1%.
Numbers for 2018 are preliminary.