Register based employment in the tourism industries in Iceland was 21,586 in August 2021, an increase of 15% compared with August 2020. In the 12 month period from September 2020 to Augst 2021, an average of 14,884 people worked in the tourism industry, compared with just over 21,000 in the previous 12 month period.
Estimated overnight stays in hotels in September were 341,700 compared with 63,449 in September 2020. The number of overnight stays by Icelanders was 63,100 (+34%) and the number of overnight stays by foreign guests was 278,600 (+1610%). In September, there were 137,180 departures of passengers from Keflavik airport compared with 15,060 in August 2020. Departures of passengers with foreign citizenship were 108,276 compared with 10,126 in September 2020.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays and register based employment. Also updated are statistics on rental cars from the Icelandic Transport Authority, traffic statistics from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, passengers count by nationality from the Icelandic Tourist Board and ISAVIA through Keflavik Airport along with traffic statistics for Keflavik Airport.
| Tourism short-term indicators October 2021 | August | September - August | ||||
| Overnight stays | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total overnight stays¹ | 559,247 | 1,089,358 | 95% | 5,370,379 | 3,508,042 | -35% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 283,369 | 628,658 | 122% | 3,652,003 | 2,037,513 | -44% |
| Other types of listed accommodation² | 275,878 | 460,700 | 67% | 1,718,376 | 1,470,529 | -14% |
| August | September - August | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 176,711 | 439,142 | 149% | 2,830,542 | 1,426,107 | -50% |
| Available hotel rooms | 8,666 | 10,178 | 17% | .. | .. | |
| Occupancy rate | 36% | 76% | 0 | 46% | 29% | -17 |
| September | October - September | |||||
| Experimental statistics - Overnight stays in hotels | 2020 | 2021 (estimated) | 2019-2020 | 2020 -2021 | % | |
| Overnight stays in hotels | 63,449 | 341,700 | 439% | 2,459,785 | 1,707,616 | -31% |
| – Iceland | 47,153 | 63,100 | 34% | 591,556 | 652,988 | 10% |
| – Foreigners | 16,296 | 278,600 | 1610% | 1,868,229 | 1,054,628 | -44% |
| Q2 | Q3 - Q2 | |||||
| External trade in services (million ISK) | 2020 | 2021 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 7,835 | 30,082 | 284% | 333,122 | 79,147 | -76% |
| – Passenger air transport | 1,029 | 3,929 | 282% | 100,400 | 11,869 | -88% |
| – Travel / Consumption | 6,806 | 26,153 | 284% | 232,722 | 67,278 | -71% |
| May - June | July - June | |||||
| VAT turnover3 (million ISK) | 2020 | 2021 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| Tourism industries in Iceland | 37,186 | 56,008 | 51% | 498,638 | 237,042 | -52% |
| – Passenger air transport | 13,806 | 14,946 | 8% | 179,159 | 77,257 | -57% |
| – Service activities incidental to air transportation | 458 | 1,337 | 192% | 15,060 | 4,768 | -68% |
| – Accommodation | 3,792 | 8,581 | 126% | 76,486 | 30,653 | -60% |
| – Food and beverage service activities | 11,905 | 15,326 | 29% | 82,009 | 68,687 | -16% |
| – Rental of leisure and sport goods & motor vehicles | 5,187 | 6,661 | 28% | 42,926 | 31,052 | -28% |
| – Travel agents and tour operators (abroad) | 39 | 466 | 1082% | 11,669 | 1,427 | -88% |
| – Travel agents and tour operators (in Iceland) | 1,131 | 5,838 | 416% | 55,820 | 14,042 | -75% |
| – Physical well-being activities | 314 | 1,528 | 388% | 15,135 | 4,017 | -73% |
| – Passenger transport on land | 437 | 898 | 106% | 16,425 | 3,594 | -78% |
| – Passenger water transport | 116 | 425 | 266% | 3,949 | 1,546 | -61% |
| August | Average September - August | |||||
| Register based employment | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 - 2020 | 2020 - 2021 | ||
| Tourism industries in Iceland | 18,712 | 21,586 | 15% | 21,118 | 14,884 | -30% |
| – Air transport | 3,535 | 3,052 | -14% | 4,018 | 2,325 | -42% |
| – Accommodation | 4,782 | 6,204 | 30% | 5,687 | 3,375 | -41% |
| – Food and beverage service activities | 8,488 | 9,920 | 17% | 8,981 | 7,835 | -13% |
| – Travel agency, tour operators and other reservation servic | 1,907 | 2,410 | 26% | 2,432 | 1,349 | -45% |
| October | Average November - October | |||||
| Rental cars4 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| Total rental cars | 19,100 | 19,881 | 4% | 21,774 | 18,111 | -17% |
| Rental cars (active) | 15,251 | 19,142 | 26% | 18,013 | 14,950 | -17% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 3,849 | 739 | -81% | 3,761 | 3,161 | -16% |
| September | August - September | |||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2020 | 2021 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| South Iceland | 11,830 | 15,838 | 34% | 148,784 | 152,778 | 3% |
| West Iceland | 12,822 | 15,652 | 22% | 151,572 | 158,246 | 4% |
| North Iceland | 6,592 | 9,943 | 51% | 82,925 | 91,126 | 10% |
| East Iceland | 1,575 | 2,887 | 83% | 20,562 | 23,964 | 17% |
| September | October - September | |||||
| Passenger count from Iceland6 | 2020 | 2021 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| Total Passengers | 15,024 | 137,180 | 813% | 1,147,406 | 584,350 | -49% |
| - Foreign nationality | 10,126 | 108,276 | 969% | 880,764 | 462,101 | -48% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 4,898 | 28,904 | 490% | 266,642 | 122,249 | -54% |
| September | October - September | |||||
| Traffic statistcs - Keflavik Airport | 2020 | 2021 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | ||
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 3,309 | 6,558 | 98% | 54,475 | 61,199 | 12% |
| Total passenger movements | 28,317 | 326,331 | 1052% | 2,760,963 | 1,393,473 | -50% |
| – Departures | 15,060 | 137,180 | 811% | 1,147,993 | 584,670 | -49% |
| – Arrivals | 12,419 | 123,562 | 895% | 1,127,959 | 596,053 | -47% |
| – Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 838 | 65,589 | 7727% | 485,011 | 212,750 | -56% |
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.