The number of overnight stays in Iceland in September 2021 almost quintupled compared with the same month last year. Thereof, overnight stays in hotels increased almost sixfold and around quadrupled in guesthouses and other types of accommodation (campsites, cottages, etc.). Compared with September 2019, there has been a 15% decrease in overnight stays. Thereof, there was a 16% decrease in hotels, 12% decrease in guesthouses and 16% decrease in other types of accommodation.
Overnight stays in all accommodation in September 2021 were 698,000 compared with 143,000 in September the previous year. Icelanders accounted for 22% of all overnight stays, or 156,000 but were 85,000 last year. Foreign visitors accounted for 78%, or 542,000 compared with 58,000 a year ago. Overnight stays in hotels and guesthouses were 499,000 (thereof 365,200 in hotels) and 199.000 overnight stays were in other types of accommodation.
The number of hotel bedrooms increased by 33% in September 2021 compared with September the year before. Occupancy rate for hotel rooms was 64.5% in September 2021, which is an increase of 48.4 percentage points from September 2020.
There were 365,200 overnight stays in hotels in September and their number increased in all regions from September 2020. The greatest increase was in the Capital region where overnight stays septupled and in the South where they sextupled.
| Overnight stays, supply and occupancy in hotels | ||||||
| September | October - September | |||||
| Overnight stays in hotels | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | % |
| Total | 63,601 | 365,238 | 474% | 2,459,937 | 1,731,013 | -30% |
| Capital region | 21,251 | 159,011 | 648% | 1,338,609 | 703,217 | -47% |
| Southwest | 7,154 | 35,168 | 392% | 188,323 | 164,559 | -13% |
| West and Westfjords | 7,234 | 30,584 | 323% | 156,573 | 154,327 | -1% |
| Northwest and Northeast | 10,782 | 42,730 | 296% | 214,586 | 243,790 | 14% |
| East | 3,013 | 14,959 | 396% | 71,364 | 70,377 | -1% |
| South | 14,167 | 82,786 | 484% | 490,482 | 394,743 | -20% |
| Citizenship | ||||||
| Icelanders | 47,153 | 97,907 | 108% | 591,556 | 687,659 | 16% |
| Foreign visitors | 16,448 | 267,331 | 1525% | 1,868,381 | 1,043,354 | -44% |
| Number of hotel rooms in September | Room occupancy rate in September | |||||
| Supply and occupancy rates of hotel rooms | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2020 | 2021 | pp |
| Total | 8,100 | 10,793 | 33% | 16.1% | 64.5% | 48.4 |
| Capital region | 3,235 | 4,912 | 52% | 13.8% | 63.7% | 49.9 |
| Southwest | 684 | 992 | 45% | 26.0% | 65.0% | 38.9 |
| West and Westfjords | 803 | 909 | 13% | 16.5% | 60.5% | 43.9 |
| Northwest and Northeast | 1,015 | 1,240 | 22% | 20.8% | 67.5% | 46.7 |
| East | 347 | 439 | 27% | 18.6% | 65.2% | 46.6 |
| South | 2,016 | 2,301 | 14% | 13.5% | 65.9% | 52.4 |
Overnight stays of Icelanders in hotels were 97,900, or 27% of overnight stays in hotels, whereas overnight stays of foreign tourists were 267,000, or 73%.
In the 12-month period from October 2020 to September 2021, the number of overnight stays in hotels was 1,731,000, which is a 30% decrease from the prior 12-month period. The greatest decrease was in the Capital region, or 47%. In the Northwest and Northeast there was a 14% increase during the same period.
Methods
Data collection for the border study managed by Statistics Iceland and the Icelandic Tourist Board resumed in June after a break due to Covid-19. Methodology for estimating unpaid overnight stays and overnight stays in home accommodation through peer-to-peer websites is currently under review and is expected to be reintroduced in the coming winter.
All numbers for 2021 are preliminary, except for hotel data which is preliminary for September 2021. Due to abrupt changes in supply and occupancy rates, estimation for other types of accommodation than hotels is currently subject to a higher degree of uncertainty than usual and should therefore be taken with a special precaution until final numbers are available.