Iceland has reinstated the tax tourists pay for hotel and alternative accommodation rooms this year. In another change, the tax will also apply to cruises.
19.12.2023 - 02:01 / skift.com / Dawit Habtemariam
A volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula, the country’s meteorological office said Monday.
An earthquake preceded the eruption. The eruption is located close to Sundhnúkagígar, about four kilometers northeast of Grindavík, according to the meteorological office.
What’s Closed: The Blue Lagoon Spa has closed, according to a note on its website. The geothermal spa partially originally closed on November 9 due to earthquakes caused by the volcano and partially re-opened on Sunday.
What’s Open: Air traffic into and out of Keflavik Airport has not stopped. Iceland’s Civil Protection Department said it considered the scenario “unlikely” and that air traffic disruption on flight traffic would depend on factors such as the location and size of the eruption.
In 2010, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano experienced an eruption that disrupted over 90,000 flights. The ash from that eruption created an ash cloud. In response, many European countries closed their airspace for several days.
Tourism is one of the “main pillars” of the country’s economy, according to Iceland’s government. The country’s tourism sector was still recovering from the pandemic. Last year, Iceland had 1.7 million visitors, which is 73% of its 2 million visitor total in 2019.
Iceland is a nature-focused and adventure destination. In addition to the Blue Lagoon, the Golden Circle, the South Coast, and the Northern Lights are popular tourist attractions.
Iceland has reinstated the tax tourists pay for hotel and alternative accommodation rooms this year. In another change, the tax will also apply to cruises.
Blue Lagoon Iceland will partially reopen its spa on Saturday, January 6, it said in a statement Friday.
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
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Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, December 20. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
In this series, Lonely Planet's team of writers and editors answers your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. This week, Icelandic travel writer Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir from Reykjavík brings us up-to-date on the volcanic activity in Grindavík and how it could impact travelers.
As Iceland’s volcano erupts, tour operators are using Sky Lagoon as an alternative to Blue Lagoon for group trips.
One question after a volcano erupted in Iceland Monday night was: Will it impact air travel?