Reduction of non-Icelandic passengers to Iceland in April was 19%. A total of 131 thousand non-Icelandic tourists arrived in Iceland in April 2018 while 106 thousand tourists arrived last April. The number of non-Icelandic passengers decreased by 27 thousand between 2018 and 2019. This is the biggest reduction of non-Icelandic passengers within the same months in the last two decades, which is as far back as the monthly data goes. Similar relative reduction for non-Icelandic passengers between same months has not occurred since May 2010 when the number of non-Icelandic passengers decreased by 18%. It is worth mentioning that in April 2010 the volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted, which caused approximately 95,000 flights to be cancelled in Iceland and Europe. In that month the number of non-Icelandic passengers decreased by 6,300.
A considerable reduction in air traffic through Keflavik airport also took place. Total passenger movements decreased by 27%, from 650 thousand in April 2018 to 475 thousand last April. Total aircraft movements, departures and take-offs, decreased by 25% between April 2018 (9,300) and April 2019 (7,000). The air traffic last April is similar to April 2017 (6,800). This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays, VAT turnover in tourism related sectors, employees in tourism related sectors and tourists through Keflavik airport. Also released are updated statistics on rental cars from the Iceland transport authority, road traffic statistics from Icelandic Road Administration, a count from the Icelandic Tourist board on passengers departing Iceland and traffic statistics for Keflavik airport.
Tourism short-term indicators | March | April - March | ||||||
Overnight stays1 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total overnight stays | 733099 | 716446 | - | -2% | 11057687 | 10888975 | - | -2% |
Hotels and guesthouses | 469906 | 444243 | - | -5% | 5657640 | 5810844 | + | 3% |
Airbnb and similar sites | 129000 | 134000 | + | 4% | 1940000 | 1844000 | - | -5% |
Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | 14000 | 22000 | + | 57% | 646900 | 552000 | - | -15% |
Other types of listed accommodation2 | 120193 | 116203 | - | -3% | 2813147 | 2682131 | - | -5% |
March | April - March | |||||||
Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total overnight stays in hotels | 381803 | 374545 | - | -2% | 4314650 | 4431751 | + | 3% |
Available hotel rooms | 9791 | 10213 | + | 4% | 112595 | 121432 | + | 8% |
Occupancy rate | 70% | 66% | - | -4 | 71% | 67% | - | -4 |
Q4 | Q1 - Q4 | |||||||
Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2017 | 2018 | % | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | % | ||
Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 95557 | 102958 | + | 8% | 501919 | 519496 | + | 4% |
- Passenger flights | 34875 | 34847 | - | 0% | 180193 | 182164 | + | 1% |
- Consumption | 60682 | 68111 | + | 12% | 321726 | 337331 | + | 5% |
January - February | March - February | |||||||
VAT turnover (million ISK) | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total turnover | 85732 | 79147 | - | -8% | 650842 | 671290 | + | 3% |
- Accommodation | 10687 | 10620 | - | -1% | 95577 | 98068 | + | 3% |
- Passenger flights | 38693 | 30574 | - | -21% | 275446 | 279940 | + | 2% |
- Catering and services | 13552 | 13484 | - | -1% | 96754 | 99218 | + | 3% |
- Travel agents and planners | 13214 | 14826 | + | 12% | 102919 | 114103 | + | 11% |
- Car rentals | 6099 | 5815 | - | -5% | 51157 | 51656 | + | 1% |
- Passenger transport on land | 3225 | 3505 | + | 9% | 23029 | 23381 | + | 2% |
- Passenger water transport | 263 | 322 | + | 22% | 5461 | 5421 | - | -1% |
February | Average employees March - February | |||||||
Employees3 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total employees in key tourism sectors | 26600 | 26200 | - | -2% | 29200 | 29400 | + | 1% |
- Accommodation | 4500 | 4800 | + | 7% | 4800 | 5400 | + | 13% |
- Passenger flights | 5800 | 5800 | - | -1% | 6800 | 6800 | + | 0% |
- Catering and services | 10200 | 9600 | - | -5% | 10900 | 10500 | - | -3% |
- Travel agents and planners | 3400 | 3500 | + | 4% | 3800 | 3900 | + | 4% |
- Other tourism sectors | 2700 | 2500 | - | -6% | 2900 | 2800 | - | -2% |
Maí | Average June - May | |||||||
Rental cars4 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total rental cars | 23729 | 24249 | + | 2% | 24380 | 25446 | + | 4% |
Rental cars (active) | 21154 | 21763 | + | 3% | 22348 | 23602 | + | 6% |
Rental cars (inactive) | 2575 | 2486 | - | -3% | 2031 | 1844 | - | -9% |
April | May - April | |||||||
Traffic on ring road5 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
South Iceland | 13965 | 13285 | - | -5% | 172872 | 179924 | + | 4% |
West Iceland | 12886 | 13794 | + | 7% | 161219 | 167796 | + | 4% |
North Iceland | 7277 | 8144 | + | 12% | 101844 | 104474 | + | 3% |
East Iceland | 1733 | 1864 | + | 8% | 26380 | 27819 | + | 5% |
April | May - April | |||||||
Passenger count to and from Iceland | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total Passengers6 | 200324 | 181229 | - | -10% | 2850093 | 2930826 | + | 3% |
- Foreign nationality | 147551 | 120306 | - | -18% | 2217814 | 2266208 | + | 2% |
- Thereof approximated no. of tourists7 | 131668 | 106245 | - | -19% | 1989688 | 2021994 | + | 2% |
- Icelandic nationality | 52773 | 60923 | + | 15% | 632279 | 664618 | + | 5% |
April | May - April | |||||||
Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
Total movements (departures/landings) | 9271 | 6946 | - | -25% | 96554 | 94198 | - | -2% |
Total passenger movements8 | 649973 | 474519 | - | -27% | 9009525 | 9472182 | + | 5% |
Table in a pdf format
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 Numbers rounded off to nearest hundred
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 See further information in news report and data table
7 Total passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice
Statistics:
Tourism indicators
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers