Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists were 119 billion ISK in the second quarter of 2019 and decreased by 7% from the second quarter of 2018. Consumption of non-Icelandic tourists was similar during the same period, decreasing by less than 1%, while revenue from passenger flights decreased by 20%, from 128 to 119 billion ISK.
The number of employees in key tourism sectors decreased by 8% in August 2019 compared with August 2018. The number of employees in all key sectors decreased during this period. Employees working in passenger flights decreased by 20% during this period, from 5,900 in August 2018 to 4,700 in 2019.
Flight movements in Keflavik airport decreased by 11% in September 2019 compared with the same month last year. During the same period passenger movements decreased by 34%, from 982 thousand in 2018 to 646 thousand in 2019. The decrease is mainly because of a drop in exchange passengers, which decreased by 57% from September last year. The number of arriving passengers decreased by 17% and the number of departing passengers decreased by 18%.
This release includes updated statistics on overnight stays, revenue from non-Icelandic tourists and employees in tourism related industries. Also released are updated statistics on rental cars from the Iceland transport authority, road traffic statistics from Icelandic Road Administration, a count from the Icelandic Tourist board on passengers departing Iceland and traffic statistics for Keflavik airport. Approximated number of tourists coming through Keflavik airport is not published with this release as the methodology is being revised.
| Tourism short-term indicators | August | September - August | ||||||
| Overnight stays1 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total overnight stays | 1661608 | 1597030 | - | -4% | 10686798 | 10594090 | - | -1% |
| Hotels and guesthouses | 716052 | 711831 | - | -1% | 5719052 | 5786109 | + | 1% |
| Airbnb and similar sites | 288000 | 240000 | - | -17% | 1804000 | 1690000 | - | -6% |
| Other types of unpaid accommodation1 | 97000 | 79000 | - | -19% | 528900 | 472000 | - | -11% |
| Other types of listed accommodation | 560556 | 566199 | + | 1% | 2634846 | 2645981 | + | 0% |
| August | September - August | |||||||
| Occupancy rate of hotel rooms | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total overnight stays in hotels | 504455 | 513367 | + | 2% | 4390808 | 4412865 | + | 1% |
| Available hotel rooms | 10438 | 10997 | + | 5% | 116902 | 123932 | + | 6% |
| Occupancy rate | 85% | 83% | - | -2 | 69% | 64% | - | -5 |
| Q2 | Q3 - Q2 | |||||||
| Balance of trade in services (million ISK) | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Revenue from non-Icelandic tourists | 127876 | 119032 | - | -7% | 506028 | 509571 | + | 1% |
| - Passenger flights | 45287 | 36321 | - | -20% | 179596 | 167359 | - | -7% |
| - Consumption | 82589 | 82711 | + | 0% | 326660 | 341856 | + | 5% |
| May - June | July - June | |||||||
| VAT turnover (million ISK)2 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total turnover | 128451 | 111242 | - | -13% | 665607 | 643512 | - | -3% |
| - Accommodation | 17742 | 17768 | + | 0% | 95754 | 98144 | + | 2% |
| - Passenger flights | 58405 | 41314 | - | -29% | 288016 | 251606 | - | -13% |
| - Catering and services | 17385 | 17358 | - | 0% | 97931 | 99190 | + | 1% |
| - Travel agents and planners (abroad) | 3296 | 2942 | - | -11% | 15757 | 16502 | + | 5% |
| - Travel agents and planners (in Iceland) | 17093 | 17435 | + | 2% | 89511 | 98772 | + | 10% |
| - Car rentals | 9598 | 9794 | + | 2% | 50190 | 51064 | + | 2% |
| - Passenger transport on land | 3729 | 3430 | - | -8% | 22950 | 22881 | - | 0% |
| - Passenger water transport | 1204 | 1201 | - | 0% | 5499 | 5353 | - | -3% |
| August | Average employees September - August | |||||||
| Employees3 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total employees in key tourism sectors | 32100 | 29400 | - | -8% | 28800 | 27783 | - | -4% |
| - Passenger flights | 5900 | 4700 | - | -21% | 5083 | 4883 | - | -4% |
| - Accommodation | 8300 | 7900 | - | -5% | 6792 | 6683 | - | -2% |
| - Catering and services | 11000 | 10100 | - | -8% | 10833 | 10283 | - | -5% |
| - Travel agents and planners | 4500 | 4400 | - | -2% | 3808 | 3883 | + | 2% |
| - Other tourism sectors | 3100 | 2800 | - | -8% | 2842 | 2683 | - | -6% |
| October | Average November - October | |||||||
| Rental cars4 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total rental cars | 26,404 | 24,994 | - | -5% | 23,007 | 23,082 | + | 0% |
| Rental cars (active) | 25,699 | 24,075 | - | -6% | 25,016 | 24,934 | - | 0% |
| Rental cars (inactive) | 705 | 919 | + | 30% | 2,009 | 1,852 | - | -8% |
| September | October - September | |||||||
| Traffic on ring road5 | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| South Iceland | 18343 | 16781 | - | -9% | 178470 | 178937 | + | 0% |
| West Iceland | 15638 | 15906 | + | 2% | 162696 | 172771 | + | 6% |
| North Iceland | 10825 | 10598 | - | -2% | 102939 | 103306 | + | 0% |
| East Iceland | 3191 | 3072 | - | -4% | 27411 | 27068 | - | -1% |
| September | October - September | |||||||
| Passenger count to and from Iceland | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total Passengers6 | 289502 | 233357 | - | -19% | 2950421 | 2684150 | - | -9% |
| - Foreign nationality | 231681 | 183654 | - | -21% | 2290811 | 2053499 | - | -10% |
| - Thereof approximated no. of tourists7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||||
| - Icelandic nationality | 57821 | 49703 | - | -14% | 659610 | 630651 | - | -4% |
| September | October - September | |||||||
| Traffic statistics - Keflavik Airport | 2018 | 2019 | % | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | % | ||
| Total movements (departures/landings) | 8191 | 7293 | - | -11% | 98635 | 88312 | - | -10% |
| Total passenger movements8 | 982828 | 646415 | - | -34% | 8668594 | 7887792 | - | -9% |
| - Departures | 290249 | 238532 | - | -18% | 2938502 | 2705266 | - | -8% |
| - Arrivals | 269986 | 223617 | - | -17% | 2934901 | 2703286 | - | -8% |
| - Exchange passengers (counted twice) | 422593 | 182154 | - | -57% | 3777446 | 2472255 | - | -35% |
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 Methodology is currently being revised.
8 Total passenger movements count departures, arrivals and connecting passengers which are counted twice.
Statistics
Tourism indicators
Balance of trade and services
Revenue from foreign travelers