Experimental statistics indicate that overnight stays in hotels decreased by 79% in June, from 420 thousand to 90 thousand, compared to June 2019.
Overnight stays in listed accommodation decreased by 87% in May, from 570 thousand to 76 thousand, compared to the same month last year. During the same period overnight stays in hotels decreased by 88%, from 315 thousand to 37 thousand, while hotel room usage rate dropped by 47 points, from 56% to 9%. Hotel room supply decreased by 26%, due to 47 hotels closing in May, going from approximately 11 thousand to 8 thousand hotel rooms.
The number of passengers departing from Keflavik Airport in June decreased by 96%, from 259 thousand to 11 thousand, compared to the same month last year. In the last 12-month period, the number of passengers has decreased by 35%, from 2.9 million to 1.8 million, compared to the same period the year before.
In July there are 15.600 active rental cars in Iceland, which is a 37% decrease compared to the same month last year. Comparing the last 12 months to the same period the year before the total number of rental cars has decreased by 8%, from 25 thousand down to 23 thousand, while active rental cars have decreased by 15%, from 23.5 thousand to 20 thousand.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays. Also updated are statistics on rental cars from the Icelandic Transport Authority, traffic statistics from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, passenger count from Icelandic Tourist Board and ISAVIA through Keflavik Airport along with traffic statistics for Keflavik Airport.
| Tourism short-term indicators | May | June - May | ||||
| Overnight stays1 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays (listed) | 570560 | 75789 | -87% | 8466075 | 7206001 | -15% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 414048 | 51300 | -88% | 5772553 | 4875323 | -16% |
| Airbnb and similar sites8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Other types of listed accommodation | 156512 | 24489 | -84% | 2693522 | 2330678 | -13% |
| May | June - May | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 315015 | 37094 | -88% | 4441712 | 3787526 | -15% |
| Available hotel rooms | 10731 | 7888 | -26% | 123306 | 123362 | 0% |
| Occupancy rate | 56% | 9% | -47 | 66% | 54% | -12 |
| June | ||||||
| Accommodation experimental statistics | 2019 (actual) | 2020 (estimated) | % | |||
| Overnight stays in hotels | 420300 | 90000 | -79% | |||
| Q1 | Q2 - Q1 | |||||
| Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| 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% |
| January - February | March - February | |||||
| VAT turnover (million ISK)2 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total turnover | 79905 | 71994 | -10% | 676031 | 608010 | -10% |
| - Passenger flights | 30581 | 26589 | -13% | 279947 | 224227 | -20% |
| - Accommodation | 11034 | 10848 | -2% | 101802 | 98590 | -3% |
| - Catering and services | 13755 | 13587 | -1% | 100292 | 99856 | 0% |
| - Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 5803 | 4822 | -17% | 51091 | 47097 | -8% |
| - Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 1932 | 2179 | 13% | 16829 | 16780 | 0% |
| - Car rentals | 12987 | 10810 | -17% | 97276 | 95095 | -2% |
| - Passenger transport on land | 3489 | 2925 | -16% | 23362 | 21213 | -9% |
| - Passenger water transport | 323 | 233 | -28% | 5430 | 5152 | -5% |
| February | Average employees March - February | |||||
| Employees3 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total employees in key tourism sectors | 25900 | 23500 | -9% | 29000 | 26800 | -8% |
| - Passenger flights | 4800 | 3600 | -25% | 5400 | 4200 | -21% |
| - Accommodation | 5900 | 5800 | -3% | 7000 | 6900 | -2% |
| - Catering and services | 9800 | 9200 | -7% | 10700 | 10000 | -6% |
| - Travel agents and planners | 3600 | 3200 | -9% | 3900 | 3800 | -3% |
| - Other tourism sectors | 2500 | 2400 | -6% | 2800 | 2600 | -7% |
| July | Average August - July | |||||
| Rental cars4 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total rental cars | 25640 | 20083 | -22% | 25309 | 23168 | -8% |
| Rental cars (active) | 24943 | 15628 | -37% | 23479 | 19953 | -15% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 697 | 4455 | 539% | 1831 | 3103 | 69% |
| June | July - June | |||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| South Iceland | 19608 | 15217 | -22% | 181487 | 159010 | -12% |
| West Iceland | 19384 | 17578 | -9% | 171200 | 157554 | -8% |
| North Iceland | 12344 | 9932 | -20% | 104618 | 90653 | -13% |
| East Iceland | 3215 | 2104 | -35% | 27577 | 23490 | -15% |
| June | July - June | |||||
| Passenger count to and from Iceland | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total Passengers6 | 259702 | 11253 | -96% | 1827094 | 2840648 | 55% |
| - Foreign nationality | 194912 | 5943 | -97% | 399009 | 652333 | 63% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 64790 | 5310 | -92% | 1428084 | 2188315 | 53% |
| June | July - June | |||||
| Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 8353 | 3951 | -53% | 90427 | 68777 | -24% |
| Total passenger movements7 | 787752 | 29335 | -96% | 8917471 | 4799284 | -46% |
| - Departures | 258876 | 11253 | -96% | 2837885 | 1838598 | -35% |
| - Arrivals | 268799 | 17682 | -93% | 2823345 | 1817990 | -36% |
| - Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 258162 | 420 | -99.8% | 3251368 | 1138288 | -65% |
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 Numbers rounded to the nearest hundred.
4 According to data from Icelandic transport authority.
5 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.
6 According to numbers from Icelandic Tourist Board.
7 Total passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice.
8 Numbers not published due to insufficient data.
Statistics
Tourism indicators
Experimental statistics - Overnight stays
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers