VAT turnover in key tourism sectors in March-April was 34 billion ISK and decreased by 59% from the same period the year before when it was 84 billion ISK.
23 thousand employees were working in key tourism sectors in March, which is a 12% decrease compared with the March last year when they were 26 thousand. Thereof, a little less than 14 thousand employees worked in accommodation and catering which is a 14% decrease from the same period last year. Employees in travel agencies, reservation service and related activities decreased from 3700 to approximately 3200 comparing the same months while employees in air transport decreased from 4200 to 4000.
Experimental statistics indicate that overnight stays in hotels decreased by 47% in July, down from 508 thousand to 269 thousand, compared with July 2019.
Listed accommodation decreased by 72% in June, going from 943 thousand down to 263 thousand, compared with the same month last year. Overnight stays in hotels and guesthouses decreased by 78%, from 574 thousand down to 128 thousand, while other types of listed accommodation decreased by 63% during the same period. The usage rate of hotel rooms dropped by 51 points, from 72% to 21% during the same period while hotel room supply decreased by 24%.
According to ISAVIA’s passenger count 59 thousand passengers departed from Keflavik airport in July, which is an 80% decrease compared with the same month last year. During the same period, 69 thousand passengers arrived in Iceland which is a 77% increase between years. Exchange passengers decreased from 242 thousand to 3 thousand comparing the same period, or by 99%.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays along with VAT turnover and employees in key tourism sectors. Also updated are statistics on rental cars from the Icelandic Transport Authority, traffic statistics from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration and passenger count from the Icelandic Tourist Board and ISAVIA through Keflavik Airport along with traffic statistics for Keflavik Airport.
| Tourism short-term indicators August 2020 | June | July - June | ||||
| Overnight stays | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays (listed) | 942661 | 263431 | -72% | 8450826 | 6526771 | -23% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 574331 | 127741 | -78% | 5757777 | 4428733 | -23% |
| Airbnb and similar sites7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Other types of listed accommodation | 368330 | 135690 | -63% | 2693049 | 2098038 | -22% |
| June | July - June | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 420320 | 89856 | -79% | 4442859 | 3457664 | -22% |
| Available hotel rooms | 11022 | 8373 | -24% | 124206 | 120721 | -3% |
| Occupancy rate | 72% | 21% | -51 | 66% | 49% | -12 |
| July | ||||||
| Accommodation experimental statistics | 2019 (actual) | 2020 (estimated) | % | |||
| Overnight stays in hotels | 507800 | 269000 | -47% | |||
| Q1 | Q2-Q1 | |||||
| Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2018 | 2019 | % |
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 92880 | 66692 | -28% | 518128 | 443678 | -14% |
| - Passenger flights | 26772 | 19951 | -25% | 176325 | 132368 | -25% |
| - Consumption | 66108 | 46741 | -29% | 341803 | 311311 | -9% |
| March - April | May - April | |||||
| VAT turnover2 (million ISK) | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total turnover | 84436 | 34323 | -59% | 665394 | 558394 | -16% |
| - Passenger flights | 31897 | 13336 | -58% | 268714 | 205665 | -23% |
| - Accommodation | 12099 | 4302 | -64% | 101965 | 91019 | -11% |
| - Catering and services | 15255 | 8160 | -47% | 99987 | 92868 | -7% |
| - Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 6333 | 3739 | -41% | 50794 | 44511 | -12% |
| - Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 2916 | 584 | -80% | 16912 | 14513 | -14% |
| - Car rentals | 12653 | 3060 | -76% | 98418 | 85582 | -13% |
| - Passenger transport on land | 2908 | 1046 | -64% | 23239 | 19362 | -17% |
| - Passenger water transport | 375 | 96 | -75% | 5365 | 4872 | -9% |
| March | Average employees April - March | |||||
| Employees | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Key tourism sectors | 26270 | 23001 | -12% | 29065 | 27340 | -6% |
| - Air transport | 4200 | 3998 | -5% | 4860 | 4439 | -9% |
| - Accommodation and food service activities | 16249 | 13946 | -14% | 17731 | 16785 | -5% |
| - Travel agency, tour operators and other reservation service | 3695 | 3186 | -14% | 3992 | 3840 | -4% |
| August | Average September - August | |||||
| Rental cars3 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total rental cars | 25296 | 20212 | -20% | 25177 | 22728 | -10% |
| Rental cars (active) | 24760 | 18072 | -27% | 23342 | 19380 | -17% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 536 | 2140 | 299% | 1834 | 3348 | 83% |
| July | August - July | |||||
| Traffic on ring road4 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| South Iceland | 20409 | 19265 | -6% | 180626 | 157865 | -13% |
| West Iceland | 21708 | 20935 | -4% | 172443 | 156760 | -9% |
| North Iceland | 15182 | 14046 | -7% | 104478 | 89516 | -14% |
| East Iceland | 4002 | 3668 | -8% | 27280 | 23156 | -15% |
| July | August - July | |||||
| Passenger count from Iceland5 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total Passengers | 291608 | 58940 | -80% | 2787404 | 1594426 | -43% |
| - Foreign nationality | 231281 | 45614 | -80% | 2140983 | 1242417 | -42% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 60327 | 13326 | -78% | 646421 | 352008 | -46% |
| July | August - July | |||||
| Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total movements (departures/landings) | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Total passenger movements6 | 843473 | 131611 | -84% | 8568409 | 4083014 | -52% |
| - Departures | 295064 | 59071 | -80% | 2794737 | 1602605 | -43% |
| - Arrivals | 306602 | 69284 | -77% | 2784007 | 1580672 | -43% |
| - Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 241807 | 3256 | -99% | 2989665 | 899737 | -70% |
1 Other accommodations are camping sites, youth hostels, holiday centres, lodges in wilderness, apartments, sleeping-bag facilities and private-home accommodation. Other unpaid accommodation includes overnight stays in cars, tents or caravans outside campsites and indoor accommodation where no payment was made
2 Travel agencies (abroad): Services in connection with trips abroad, i.e. with zero VAT-rate according to paragraph 12 of the VAT-law (Act 50/1988). Travel agencies (in Iceland): Services in connection with trips in Iceland, i.e. not with zero VAT-rate according to paragraph 12 of the VAT-law (Act 50/1988).
3 According to data from Icelandic transport authority
4 According to numbers from 14 counters on the ring road from Icelandic Road Administration. Monthly numbers show the average count each month. 12 month rolling period specifies the total count during the period. Data is used from 14 counters located on the ring road
5 According to numbers from Icelandic Tourist Board
6 Total passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice
7 Numbers not published due to insufficient data
Statistics
Tourism indicators
Experimental statistics - Overnight stays
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers
Employees by industry