Passengers arriving in Iceland through Keflavik airport decreased by 10% in December, from 187 thousand in 2018 to 169 thousand in 2019. Thereof passengers with foreign nationality decreased by 9% while Icelandic passengers decreased by 12%.
13% fewer passengers arrived during 2019 than the year before. Passengers with foreign nationality decreased from 2.3 million to 2 million while passengers with Icelandic nationality decreased by 9%, from 670 thousand in 2018 to 610 thousand in 2019.
VAT turnover in tourism related industries in September and October 2019 was 106 billion ISK. It decreased by 8% compared with the same period the year before. VAT turnover in all tourism related industries decreased during this period.
VAT turnover decreased by 9%, 62 billion ISK, during the period November 2018 to October 2019 compared with the same period the year before. During this period VAT turnover from passenger flights decreased by 22%, 64 billion ISK.
Overnight stays in November increased by 4%, 23 thousand overnight stays, compared with the same month the previous year. The increase is mainly due to a 5% increase in overnight stays in hotels, which increased by 16 thousand when comparing the same periods. Hotel room supply also increased by 7% while the occupancy rate remained the same during this period.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays and VAT turnover from tourism related industries. Also released are updated statistics on rental cars from the Iceland transport authority and a count from the Icelandic Tourist board on passengers going through Keflavik airport.
| Tourism short-term indicators | November | December - November | ||||
| Overnight stays1 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Total overnight stays | 571776 | 595076 | 4% | 10865025 | 10524184 | -3% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 366966 | 381834 | 4% | 5843079 | 5788505 | -1% |
| Airbnb and similar sites | 83000 | 76000 | -8% | 1812000 | 1642000 | -9% |
| Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | 24000 | 22000 | -8% | 533900 | 452000 | -15% |
| Other types of listed accommodation | 97810 | 114242 | 17% | 2676046 | 2641679 | -1% |
| November | December - November | |||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 306768 | 323036 | 5% | 4471098 | 4432879 | -1% |
| Available hotel rooms | 10103 | 10766 | 7% | 119317 | 126198 | 6% |
| Occupancy rate | 58% | 57% | -1 | 68% | 65% | -4 |
| Q3 | Q4 - Q3 | |||||
| Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 194412 | 169678 | -13% | 511966 | 484702 | -5% |
| - Passenger flights | 69426 | 49297 | -29% | 182138 | 147230 | -19% |
| - Consumption | 124985 | 120381 | -4% | 329828 | 337472 | 2% |
| September - October | November - October | |||||
| VAT turnover (million ISK)2 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Total turnover | 115336 | 106279 | -8% | 683940 | 621931 | -9% |
| - Accommodation | 45654 | 41135 | -10% | 293996 | 229955 | -22% |
| - Passenger flights | 18640 | 17469 | -6% | 100450 | 100212 | 0% |
| - Catering and services | 17312 | 16682 | -4% | 99316 | 99911 | 1% |
| - Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 8901 | 7501 | -16% | 51475 | 49105 | -5% |
| - Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 3430 | 3257 | -5% | 16460 | 16458 | 0% |
| - Car rentals | 16585 | 15860 | -4% | 93437 | 98811 | 6% |
| - Passenger transport on land | 3845 | 3443 | -11% | 23426 | 22183 | -5% |
| - Passenger water transport | 970 | 931 | -4% | 5384 | 5291 | -2% |
| October | Average employees November - October | |||||
| Employees3 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Total employees in key tourism sectors | 28900 | 26300 | -9% | 28941 | 27525 | -5% |
| - Passenger flights | 5600 | 4300 | -23% | 5200 | 4700 | -10% |
| - Accommodation | 6900 | 6800 | -1% | 7000 | 6900 | -1% |
| - Catering and services | 10600 | 9600 | -9% | 10800 | 10200 | -6% |
| - Travel agents and planners | 3800 | 3600 | -5% | 3800 | 3800 | 0% |
| - Other tourism sectors | 2800 | 2600 | -9% | 2800 | 2600 | -7% |
| January | Average February - Janua | |||||
| Rental cars4 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2018 | 2019 | % |
| Total rental cars | 24537 | 23265 | -5% | 25285 | 24596 | -3% |
| Rental cars (active) | 21544 | 20525 | -5% | 23358 | 22817 | -2% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 2993 | 2740 | -8% | 1927 | 1779 | -8% |
| December | January - December | |||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2018 | 2019 | % |
| South Iceland | 11365 | 10593 | -7% | 180170 | 177518 | -1% |
| West Iceland | 10175 | 10191 | 0% | 164709 | 173319 | 5% |
| North Iceland | 4748 | 4359 | -8% | 103317 | 103440 | 0% |
| East Iceland | 1214 | 1156 | -5% | 27771 | 27123 | -2% |
| December | January - December | |||||
| Passenger count to and from Iceland | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2018 | 2019 | % |
| Total Passengers6 | 186853 | 168850 | -10% | 2984018 | 2597536 | -13% |
| - Foreign nationality | 137230 | 125421 | -9% | 2315925 | 1987575 | -14% |
| - Icelandic nationality | 49623 | 43429 | -12% | 668093 | 609961 | -9% |
| November | December - November | |||||
| Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % |
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 6880 | 6812 | -1% | 98635 | 88312 | -10% |
| Total passenger movements7 | 629189 | 435339 | -31% | 8668594 | 7887792 | -9% |
| - Departures | 202582 | 176582 | -13% | 2964853 | 2632983 | -11% |
| - Arrivals | 194691 | 168423 | -13% | 2946820 | 2633313 | -11% |
| - Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 230640 | 90334 | -61% | 3861273 | 2126689 | -45% |
1 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.
2 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).
3 Numbers rounded to the nearest hundred.
4 According to data from Icelandic transport authority.
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 According to numbers from Icelandic Tourist Board.
7 otal passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice.
Statistics
Tourism indicators
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers