Roughly 96 thousand passengers arrived at Keflavik airport in March and their number decreased by 55% compared to the same month last year when there were 213 thousand passengers departing. The number of Icelandic passengers decreased by 64% during the same period, from 43 thousand to 16 thousand, while the number of foreign passengers decreased by 53%, from 170 thousand to 80 thousand.
In March there was a substantial decrease in overnight stays. According to preliminary numbers there were 181 thousand overnight stays in hotels in March which is 53% less than in the same month last year. The bed usage rate was 25.3% compared to 56.8% in the same month last year.
Traffic on the ring road during March decreased by a third when compared to the same month last year. According to traffic counters located on the ring road the traffic reduced by 31% in south and west Iceland, 33% in east Iceland and 36% in north Iceland.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays along with statistics on rental cars from the Icelandic Transport Authority, traffic statistics from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, a count from the Icelandic Tourist Board on passengers going through Keflavik airport and traffic statistics for Keflavik Airport.
| Tourism short-term indicators | February | March - February | ||||
| Overnight stays1 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays | 649071 | 566448 | -13% | 10838782 | 10392054 | -4% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 410981 | 386926 | -6% | 5821384 | 5801743 | 0% |
| Airbnb and similar sites | 118000 | 67000 | -43% | 1812000 | 1526000 | -16% |
| Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | 16000 | 11000 | -31% | 512000 | 445500 | -13% |
| Other types of listed accommodation | 104090 | 101522 | -2% | 2693398 | 2618811 | -3% |
| February | March - February | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 350348 | 336027 | -4% | 4451688 | 4538260 | 2% |
| Available hotel rooms | 10291 | 10914 | 6% | 121294 | 130768 | 8% |
| Occupancy rate | 67% | 60% | -7 | 67% | 64% | -3 |
| Q4 | Q1-Q4 | |||||
| Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 102961 | 88554 | -14% | 519369 | 469866 | -10% |
| - Passenger flights | 34839 | 26831 | -23% | 182103 | 139189 | -24% |
| - Consumption | 68121 | 61724 | -9% | 337267 | 330677 | -2% |
| November - December | January - December | |||||
| VAT turnover (million ISK)2 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2018 | 2019 | % |
| Total turnover | 90280 | 83114 | -8% | 682326 | 615606 | -10% |
| - Accommodation | 32873 | 31177 | -5% | 288059 | 228344 | -21% |
| - Passenger flights (international) | 13309 | 11501 | -14% | 101766 | 98686 | -3% |
| - Catering and services | 16491 | 16291 | -1% | 100150 | 99986 | 0% |
| - Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 7577 | 6550 | -14% | 51380 | 48078 | -6% |
| - Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 1996 | 1686 | -16% | 16881 | 16151 | -4% |
| - Car rentals | 13971 | 12361 | -12% | 95641 | 97345 | 2% |
| - Passenger transport on land | 3728 | 3267 | -12% | 23081 | 21773 | -6% |
| - Passenger water transport | 334 | 281 | -16% | 5370 | 5241 | -2% |
| January | Average employees February - January | |||||
| Employees3 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total employees in key tourism sectors | 26100 | 23300 | -11% | 29017 | 27000 | 7% |
| - Passenger flights | 5000 | 3800 | -24% | 5358 | 4350 | 23% |
| - Accommodation | 5800 | 5600 | -5% | 6992 | 6858 | 2% |
| - Catering and services | 9900 | 9000 | -9% | 10683 | 10000 | 7% |
| - Travel agents and planners | 3600 | 3200 | -10% | 3892 | 3800 | 2% |
| - Other tourism sectors | 2500 | 2300 | -7% | 2817 | 2617 | 8% |
| March | Average April - March | |||||
| Rental cars4 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total rental cars | 24249 | 22414 | -8% | 25446 | 24224 | -5% |
| Rental cars (active) | 21763 | 18361 | -16% | 23602 | 22354 | -5% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 2486 | 4053 | 63% | 1844 | 1870 | 1% |
| March | April - March | |||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| South Iceland | 12913 | 8865 | -31% | 180484 | 171941 | -5% |
| West Iceland | 12165 | 8410 | -31% | 166887 | 167704 | 0% |
| North Iceland | 6316 | 4054 | -36% | 103606 | 100058 | -3% |
| East Iceland | 1620 | 1087 | -33% | 27688 | 26490 | -4% |
| March | April - March | |||||
| Passenger count to and from Iceland | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total Passengers6 | 213448 | 95611 | -55% | 2949921 | 2436924 | -17% |
| - Foreign nationality | 170177 | 79873 | -53% | 2293453 | 1861709 | -19% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 43271 | 15738 | -64% | 656468 | 575214 | -12% |
| March | April - March | |||||
| Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 7340 | 5344 | -27% | 96523 | 81553 | -16% |
| Total passenger movements7 | 586873 | 219162 | -63% | 9647636 | 6605725 | -32% |
| - Departures | 214906 | 95486 | -56% | 2937928 | 2445774 | -17% |
| - Arrivals | 211118 | 87468 | -59% | 2923570 | 2435970 | -17% |
| - Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 159279 | 36208 | -77% | 3782606 | 1717640 | -55% |
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.
Statistics
Tourism indicators
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers