5 Interesting Things To Know About Iceland Before You Go

25.11.2023 - 11:46 / forbes.com

According to recent reports, Iceland’s tourism industry is on track for a banner year in 2023, producing record highs in visitation and spending.

The reports come on the heels of a couple big years associated with the post-pandemic boom, as well as increased media attention due to the on-going volcanic eruptions on the island in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

It seems appropriate that volcanic activity is a major drive in keeping Iceland top of mind for travelers because, according to City Walk Guide Asi Gunnarsson, Iceland’s modern tourism boom first began thanks to a volcanic eruption more than a decade ago.

In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano became a worldwide event, sending huge plumes of ash into the sky, disrupting airline routes and capturing the attention of media outlets across the globe.

“This was when the world really started paying attention to Iceland,” Gunnarsson said on his two-hour walking tour of Reykjavik.

Since then, increased marketing efforts and savvy promotions, such as the stopover program from Iceland Air, have helped to raise awareness of all Iceland has to offer.

Given the above, it would be no surprise if you or someone you know is considering a trip to Iceland. And though the volcanoes, glaciers, Northern Lights, and waterfalls are probably on your radar, there’s much context to be gained by understanding the Icelandic culture and its history on this remote island in the North Atlantic.

Like many indigenous and native languages around the world, Icelandic is very descriptive, literal, and practical. The names of places tend to describe what the area looks like, or how it made the first settlers feel.

Reykjavik, for example, translates to “the Smoky Bay.” The name was given by the first settler of Norway, Ingólfr Arnarson, in 874, when he stood on a hill overlooking the bay and saw geothermal steam rising off its waters. You can visit that same hill today in downtown Reykjavik, where a statue of Arnarson now stands.

Family names also take an interesting turn in Icelandic culture due to this direct type of language. Unlike in North American and Europe, where children inherit the father’s last name, each child in Iceland is given a unique last name that is a combination of their father’s first name and a suffix related to their gender - “son” for men, and “dottir” for women.

It’s similar to the system in Scandinavian countries. For example, my name is William, so if I had a son, his last name would be Williamsson. If I had a daughter, her last name would be Williamsdottir. My last name would relate to my father’s name, and my wife’s name to her father’s name. Every person in a family of four has a different last name.

Today, this naming system is still used, with