According to the 2025 report from the Icelandic Tourist Board (Ferðamálastofa), the number of visitors to the country fell by 4% compared with the previous year, while the average length of stay rose from 5.8 nights to 6.4 nights.
Headlines
- Total visitors: 2.21 million
- Largest market: the US (23%), followed by Germany (9%) and the UK (8%)
- Winter’s share passed 40% for the first time
- Share of visitors travelling by hire car: 52%
Analysis
The report links the decline in short city-break visits to two factors: higher prices on transatlantic connecting flights, and the geological activity on Reykjanes periodically closing some attractions around the capital.
Longer stays, meanwhile, are having a positive effect on regional spread. Overnight stays in the East Fjords (Austurland) are up 11%. Spreading tourism beyond the capital has long been one of the board’s stated goals.
“Fewer visitors staying longer is a more sustainable picture for our infrastructure.” (Ferðamálastofa annual review)
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