Inspired by Iceland: A push for summer travel
Travel to Iceland this summer
Since the initial eruption in Eyjafjallajökull, the world has become an awestricken audience to Iceland’s state of well-being. While ash loomed over Western Europe and passengers remained stranded across the globe, all eyes looked toward Reykjavik.
Fortunately, only a small percentage of the country has been affected by the ash, but unsurprisingly, Iceland’s visitor numbers have dropped drastically since the event.
Fear without facts has kept visitors at bay, but the reality is that Iceland’s infrastructure is still safely intact. Flights to Iceland are running smoothly, and are expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Furthermore, prices for flights, hotels and car hire are easily on par with other European countries, so visitors won’t face inflated prices due to a low tourism rate.
Katrín Júlíusdóttir, Minister of Industry of Iceland, beckons travelers and says, “We believe Iceland is a country that can inspire everyone who comes here. The stunning geography and wonderful scenery, the warmth and kindness of the people, the unique culture and accessibility of Iceland all go towards making our country a great place to visit – we want the world to know that.”
In order to get the word out that Iceland is indeed welcoming travelers with open arms, the Icelandic government created an innovative “Inspired by Iceland” campaign to help kick-start summer tourism.
Last Thursday, June 3, approximately 320,000 people in Iceland (and many more fans of the country all over the world) left encouraging messages of love and support for their homeland, and urged travelers to come experience it for themselves. The push drew more than 100,000 visitors, 1 million downloads of the promotional video and images, and 5 million Twitter messages.
Celebrities are on board too. Yoko Ono backed the campaign by saying, “The eruption in Eyjafjallajökull has given Iceland media attention like never before. The downside of course is that people are nervous about coming to Iceland at the moment. Some think that the whole land is covered with ash and that Iceland is in a state of emergency. The truth is that only a very small part of Iceland is being influenced by the eruption.” Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower dedicated to John Lennon is also lit annually in Reykjavik.
Other celebrities stirring up excitement for Iceland include Jamie Oliver, Stephen Fry, and Viggo Mortensen.
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