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Tourism

Video: Iceland Denies Overtourism as Europe Searches for Solutions

Dan Peltier

Photo Credit: Jennifer Iduh (L), head of research and development at European Travel Commission, and Inga Hlin Palsdottir, director of Visit Iceland and Creative Industries, Promote Iceland, spoke at Skift Forum Europe. Skift

Skift Take

Iceland doesn't believe it's overrun with tourists but it's also been proactive in managing tourism growth. That's in sharp contrast to many other destinations only focused on higher numbers with no long-term game plans.

European destinations such as Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Venice are suffering under the weight of overtourism as summer travel is underway. But Iceland, a country that had nearly five times more tourists than residents last year and helped start the global conversation on overtourism, insists it's not stretched too thin – for now. More than 1.3 billion people crossed international borders last year, and the global traveling population will only increase. Iceland has to be ready rather than resistant to that reality, said Inga Hlin Palsdottir, director of Visit Iceland and Creative Industries, Promote Iceland who spoke at Skift Forum Europe in April. "We have 95 percent of tourists who say they are satisfied

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