According to VAT reports, turnover in Icelandic tourism sectors was 267 billion ISK in 2020, a decrease of 58% from the previous year. In November to December 2020, turnover was just over 31 billion ISK, a 64% decrease compared with the same period 2019.
Estimated overnight stays in hotels in February were around 47 thousand, a decrease of 86% compared with February 2020 when overnight stays were nearly 335 thousand. The number of overnight stays by Icelanders was 42,200 (+ 13%) and the number of overnight stays by foreign guests was 4,600 (-98%).
In February, there were 5,339 departures of passengers from Keflavik airport, which is a 97% decrease compared with February last year when departures from the country were 167,500. The number of departures of visitors with foreign citizenship decreased by 98% and that of Icelanders by 93%.
This release includes updated statistics on turnover by VAT reports and overnight stays. 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 March 2021 | January | February - January | ||||
| Overnight stays | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total overnight stays¹ | 433,527 | 56,808 | -87% | 8,447,177 | 2,584,697 | -69% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 346,456 | 36,212 | -90% | 5,825,798 | 1,633,273 | -72% |
| Other types of listed accommodation² | 87,071 | 20,596 | -76% | 2,621,379 | 951,424 | -64% |
| January | February - January | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 291,128 | 29,420 | -90% | 4,552,127 | 1,226,668 | -73% |
| Available hotel rooms | 10,727 | 6,048 | -44% | .. | .. | |
| Occupancy rate | 49% | 9% | -40 | 66% | 22% | -44 |
| February | March - February | |||||
| Experimental statistics - Overnight stays in hotels | 2020 | 2021 (estimated) | 2019-2020 | 2020 -2021 | % | |
| Overnight stays in hotels | 334,919 | 46,800 | -86% | 4,536,698 | 938,549 | -79% |
| – Iceland | 37,380 | 42,200 | 13% | 452,682 | 534,021 | 18% |
| – Foreigners | 297,539 | 4,600 | -98% | 4,084,016 | 404,528 | -90% |
| Q4 | ||||||
| External trade in services (million ISK) | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2019 | 2020 | % |
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 88,421 | 8,319 | -91% | 469,948 | 117,027 | -75% |
| – Passanger transport by air | 26,565 | 1,549 | -94% | 139,584 | 30,553 | -78% |
| – Travel / Consumption | 61,856 | 6,770 | -89% | 330,364 | 86,474 | -74% |
| November - December | ||||||
| VAT turnover3 (million ISK) | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2019 | 2020 | % |
| Tourism industries in Iceland | 86,039 | 31,137 | -64% | 636,985 | 267,069 | -58% |
| – Passenger flights | 31,189 | 12,818 | -59% | 228,999 | 94,038 | -59% |
| – Flight related services | 2,599 | 591 | -77% | 21,945 | 6,005 | -73% |
| – Accommodation | 11,719 | 2,838 | -76% | 99,420 | 35,323 | -64% |
| – Catering and services | 15,128 | 8,887 | -41% | 93,498 | 65,367 | -30% |
| – Rental of leisure and sport goods & motor vehicles | 6,696 | 3,739 | -44% | 49,167 | 31,719 | -35% |
| – Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 1,961 | 178 | -91% | 17,582 | 3,280 | -81% |
| – Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 10,067 | 953 | -91% | 79,109 | 17,354 | -78% |
| – Massage parlours, tanning salons, saunas, etc. | 3,028 | 296 | -90% | 20,053 | 6,029 | -70% |
| – Passenger transport on land | 3,307 | 775 | -77% | 21,818 | 6,519 | -70% |
| – Passenger water transport | 344 | 62 | -82% | 5,395 | 1,434 | -73% |
| October | Average employees November - October | |||||
| Register based employment | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % |
| Tourism industries in Iceland | 29,014 | 15,802 | -46% | 30,276 | 22,882 | -24% |
| – Air transport | 4,499 | 2,219 | -51% | 4,738 | 3,636 | -23% |
| – Accommodation | 6,936 | 2,854 | -59% | 6,994 | 4,928 | -30% |
| – Food service activities | 9,967 | 7,171 | -28% | 10,280 | 8,509 | -17% |
| – Travel agency, tour operators and other reservation servic | 2,845 | 1,047 | -63% | 2,963 | 2,044 | -31% |
| March | Average April - March | |||||
| Rental cars4 | 2019 | 2020 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total rental cars | 22,668 | 17,071 | -25% | 24,377 | 19,466 | -20% |
| Rental cars (active) | 20,049 | 12,406 | -38% | 22,638 | 14,709 | -35% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 2,619 | 4,665 | 78% | 1,739 | 4,757 | 174% |
| February | March - February | |||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| South Iceland | 11,226 | 9,631 | -14% | 175,989 | 135,711 | -23% |
| West Iceland | 10,154 | 10,726 | 6% | 171,459 | 143,127 | -17% |
| North Iceland | 4,789 | 5,268 | 10% | 102,321 | 77,419 | -24% |
| East Iceland | 1,213 | 1,184 | -2% | 27,023 | 19,028 | -30% |
| February | March - February | |||||
| Passenger count from Iceland6 | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total Passengers | 167,458 | 5,339 | -97% | 2,597,536 | 608,693 | -77% |
| - Foreign nationality | 133,001 | 2,997 | -98% | 1,952,013 | 231,950 | -88% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 34,457 | 2,342 | -93% | 602,748 | 66,098 | -89% |
| February | March - February | |||||
| Traffic statistcs - Keflavik Airport7 | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 4,664 | 3,245 | -30% | 83,549 | 41,983 | -50% |
| Total passenger movements | 393,286 | 11,500 | -97% | 6,965,525 | 638,922 | -91% |
| – Departures | 167,496 | 5,339 | -97% | 2,565,194 | 298,392 | -88% |
| – Arrivals | 170,198 | 5,620 | -97% | 2,559,620 | 291,723 | -89% |
| – Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 55,292 | 541 | -99% | 1,840,711 | 48,807 | -97% |
1 Airbnb and unpaid accommodation not included in 12 month period.
2 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.
3 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).
4 Data from the Icelandic transport authority. Numbers from first weekday of each month.
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 Data from the Icelandic Tourist Board.
7 Data from ISAVIA - passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice.