When I first started visiting 25 years ago, I would often meet people who would say, “Oh, what about Ireland?” And now everyone says, “Oh, I’m going there,” or “my neighbors are going,” or “I want to go too.” It is much more in people’s consciousness.
Immediately after the 2010 volcanic eruption, the ‘Inspired by Iceland’ campaign was launched to promote tourism.read it 1/4 or more Eight people from the adult population of Iceland participated in it.
Well, everyone should have told all their friends to come to Iceland. I certainly did, and so did many others. There have been some genius campaigns, many with important underlying messages about sustainability. Icelandic Pledge, a commitment to responsible travel that anyone can participate in online. Travelers want to know about the countries we visit and what we can do to give back, but they may not know how to access that information. And the Icelandic Pledge is a good way to remind people to be kind to nature and to make sure they have travel plans in case something happens.
One sentence in the pledge that left an impression on me was, “I will not die for photography, but I will take photographs until I die.” Aren’t people sometimes forgetting themselves?
There are hot springs with really hot water here. We have active volcanoes.we have sneaker wave on the beach. It’s windy. We’re kind of invincible when we’re on vacation, but we still have to use common sense.
You write in your book that one of the best ways for visitors to get to know Icelanders is by relaxing in the hot tub of a geothermal pool. why is that?
If you want to meet an Englishman, you are told to go to a pub. If you want to meet French people, go to a cafe. Here in Iceland we definitely go to the pool. Because you can meet people there morning, noon and evening. Visitors are encouraged to try different pools, as each pool has its own characteristics and personality, allowing you to meet different types of people. All the locals do because it’s clean and affordable.
After reading your book, I felt that the Icelandic community, while becoming more and more diverse, is still very close-knit.
I had to shop for bras over the weekend, and it’s such a fun experience. When I was talking to the woman in the shop, the woman in the next changing room said, “I know that voice.” And it was our Chief Medical Officer, like Anthony Fauci of Iceland. And we just laughed that Iceland is the only place you run into in underwear stores. And the next day I met her again at her grocery store. And you just think, “This is a small country.”
