When I traveled to Iceland with my family in the summer of 2023 I was curious about absolutely everything. With elementary-aged kids in tow, I wanted to know how family-friendly the country was (very!). I wanted to know which famous sites were essential to visit, and you can read about those on our Glimmer of Iceland itinerary. But my most burning questions were about the effects of Iceland’s surge in tourism over the past decade.

If you’re reading this, you probably care about traveling responsibly. I imagine that you wish to respect the local culture and people in the places that you visit. I hope that what I learned during my own visit will serve as helpful input for you and travelers like you to make conscientious decisions about your own travels. And don’t worry – I won’t encourage you to cross Iceland off your travel wish list!

Economic Background

Rewind to the global financial crisis of 2008. It started in Iceland, when all three of the country’s major commercial banks defaulted. Fifty thousand people (15% of the population) lost their life savings, and 75,000 homeowners defaulted on their mortgages. The market cap of the Icelandic stock exchange fell by 90%.

Tourism has been the saving grace for the country’s economy. The Covid period notwithstanding, tourism has grown approximately 500% since 2008. It has gone from being a minor contribution to Iceland’s income – less than 5% of GDP – to a crucial and substantial 40% of GDP. The country had made a successful rebound from deep depression thanks in large part to the contributions of revenue from international visitors.

Environmental Impact

Human Waste

Although Icelanders appreciate the contributions of visitors to the economic health of their country, the rapid rise of tourism has been a shock to the infrastructure and environment of the relatively small country. Everything from roads and directional signs to benches, fences, trash cans, and toilets used to be adequate for the local population but faced challenges when visitors multiplied dramatically. Perhaps the number one complaint of locals and visitors alike is the dearth of public restrooms. Visitors complain at the challenge of finding proper places to relieve their burgeoning bladders. Locals complain that visitors don’t try nearly hard enough to find proper places to go, and instead go in quite improper places, leaving quite unwelcome landmines in public parking lots and soiling scenic sites.

Rubbish

Waste management has also become problematic with regard to garbage. Most beautiful spots in Iceland aren’t managed by any public park authority nor by any private enterprise; they are simply beautiful spots. Nobody is responsible for installing trash cans, nor for emptying them. Icelanders are raised with a common appreciation for beauty, and a common sense of responsibility for preserving it. They know that they must pack out their own garbage in order to preserve pristine places.

Unfortunately, tourists don’t usually take the same responsibility for their own garbage. Most tourists have a reasonable cultural expectation that trash cans are available to be filled and will be emptied regularly. Furthermore, most don’t understand the lack of systemic resources to empty trash cans. Unfortunately, though, despite the presence of some trash cans (especially in proximity to concession stands) it has become nearly impossible to empty them as quickly as visitors fill them.

Camper Vans

The garbage problem is exacerbated by the increasing trend in camper-van road tripping. A proliferation of van rental companies offers travelers the opportunity to sleep in their vehicles at a fraction of the price of the limited-supply hotels on offer. As road trippers sleep and prepare meals in their vans, the amount of trash pushed out at tourist sites explodes. More litter is less contained, and more likely to tarnish the landscape.

Locals are troubled by the increase in van camping for another reason: off-road impact. There are many times more visitors to every site than there used to be, but at least the volume should be limited by the number of people who stay in the local hotels and the number of vehicles that can fit in the parking lots. Now, with camper vans, the overnight capacity of any region is virtually limitless. This causes a greater potential for bad decisions about parking beyond the boundaries of parking lots, walking off-trail to get around crowds, and camping outside of formal campgrounds. Iceland’s mossy plains are extremely fragile, and locals were raised to understand their precious ecosystem. They get understandably grumpy when outsiders – and not just van campers – treat the land poorly.

Transportation

The roads themselves have also become an issue with the influx of tourists to Iceland. Most roads in Iceland are two-lane highways, and routes into the highlands consist of single lane rutted roads. As thousands of people circumnavigate the island in the high season, it is common for one waterfall-gazing wanderer to hold up dozens of drivers behind them. There are factions that would like to see wider roads installed, and paved roads into the highlands. Others, though, want to see nature valued over ease of passage. And, perhaps more to the point, they want some parts of the country to remain isolated. Some people worry that wider and better roads will mean more mass tourism to some of the places that have managed to stay relatively less visited. They hope to preserve the environment and their own solitude simultaneously.

Social Impact

Indeed, the influx of visitors has affected Icelanders’ own experience of their country’s natural places. In a culture where people value nature deeply, seeking serenity in the wild is the national pastime. Most people have a favorite bridge, stream, or mountainside trail to seek out for alone time. Now, the quiet and solitude that once graced many of Iceland’s natural sites is punctuated by visitors trying to get off the beaten trail, leaving locals longing for their once-secluded spots. There are no secrets anymore, whether lagoons or otherwise.

Wilderness Rescue

More troubling, increasing numbers of tourists have meant increasing demand on the all-volunteer search-and-rescue service, ICE-SAR. Iceland’s climate and terrain are full of raw natural hazards, and conditions can change suddenly. Locals grow up with deep respect and healthy fear of the ocean and ice. Foreigners, on the other hand, are much more likely to underestimate risk and overestimate their own abilities. The ICE-SAR emergency first responders show up whenever needed, and they are needed proportionately more often by locals. This is not only a burden on the volunteers, but on their families and employers, who by social compact agree to support the drop-everything requirements of their service.

Price Inflation

Icelanders also feel the impact of tourism in urban areas. With more people using goods and services, prices for nearly everything have soared. Food and sundries have become more expensive for everyone. In the heart of Reykjavik, where space is limited, the cost of rent and real estate has skyrocketed exponentially, compelling many locals to relocate to surrounding areas. If you visit Iceland, you are bound to find things pricey. It’s worth remembering that the same costs weigh heavily on the Icelanders too.

Language

The nature of the local community has evolved with the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry. Service jobs in these industries are not popular with Icelanders, and many Eastern Europeans have been eager to immigrate for work opportunities. Although many of these workers try to learn Icelandic, it is a notoriously difficult language. Meanwhile, most Icelanders speak English, as do many of the new immigrants. Icelanders find themselves wistful that, by default, English is often the lingua franca instead of Icelandic.

Housing

Finally, housing all the tourists has come at significant cost, both environmental and economic. The building boom has also presented an economic opportunity, which most locals embraced wholeheartedly through the twenty-teens, and some still do. However, some Icelanders now wonder what will happen when the tourism rush ends.

The hotels have become a signifier for the environmental and the social bargains that the country and society has made.

Go With Intention

Despite all these challenges, Icelanders understand why you want to keep visiting their beautiful country. And they welcome you, for the most part. They just need your help to keep it beautiful. So, if you do visit, tread lightly and responsibly. Listen to your guide about safety and respect. Support local business owners. Stay on the trail, take trash to your hotel, and poop exclusively in potties. Seriously, that last one is a big one.

Beyond that, as you immerse yourself in the Icelandic experience, remember the effort it takes to host all the visitors who come through. When guides or business proprietors or local people express personal boundaries, honor their personal time and space. Show appreciation for their hospitality, express curiosity about their individual identities, and connect with them through your mutual humanity. Iceland isn’t just about its scenic vistas; it’s about the people who call it home.