October 18: New York Times on the rebirth of tourism

A good link via this Instagram post to an article on how Iceland is ready to welcome visitors back once it is safe to do so.

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Iceland is preparing for a comeback.⁣ ⁣ The country hopes that when people book their first post-pandemic flights overseas, Iceland will be the top choice. Tourism has undergone an unprecedented downturn all over the world. But several factors made Iceland particularly vulnerable to the industry’s crash: geographic isolation, a small domestic population, strict border measures and an economy that had come to depend heavily on foreign tourists. A recent surge in coronavirus cases has added to Iceland’s challenges.⁣ ⁣ But while visitor numbers are low, Iceland is positioning itself for a major tourism rebound after the pandemic. The government is investing more than $12 million in tourism infrastructure, while improving roads and harbors across the country. To keep the tourism industry afloat in the short term, the government is also investing more than $9 million in a program that distributes free travel vouchers to Icelandic citizens and residents. A marketing campaign targeting domestic tourists was rolled out in late spring. An international version will be unveiled as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.⁣ ⁣ Tap the link in our bio to read more about how Iceland is seeking to revive its economy by welcoming back tourists to popular sites, like the Skogafoss waterfall featured in “Game of Thrones” (pictured above), and follow @nytimestravel for more. Photo by @barakristinsd.⁣

A post shared by The New York Times (@nytimes) on Oct 17, 2020 at 5:00pm PDT