2023-09-23 19:31:18
Its volcanoes, its geysers, its lava flows… In just a few years, Iceland has become a popular destination for tourists. But this enthusiasm, while it ensures economic benefits for the country, also has an impact on its still relatively preserved nature. This is why the Icelandic government has decided to take measures to protect itself from overtourism, and thus preserve its territory, reports the newspaper The echoesSaturday September 23.
“Tourism has grown exponentially in Iceland over the past decade and this not only has effects on the climate,” said Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir on the American television channel Bloomberg, Wednesday September 20. Continuing: “Most of our guests also visit our untouched nature and this creates obvious pressure.”
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“More and more stays”
“One of the ways to combat the climate impact of these ever-increasing stays is to increase taxes for those who remain in the country, even if these sums will not be high initially,” she said. affirmed.
In Iceland, tourism represents around 6% of GDP and is a decisive sector for achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. “A large number of companies working in the tourism sector are finding ways to move to the circular economy and take steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels, for example by starting to use electric cars,” added Katrin Jakobsdottir. “So change is happening, but it’s a challenge,” she said.
Faced with overtourism, cities around the world are taking new measures. In Italy, Venice, for example, has decided to establish a ticketing system for visiting its historic center. From spring 2024, you will have to pay five euros to get to the heart of the city of the Doges. A paid entry ticket must be reserved by tourists wishing to visit Venice for the day, the municipality announced on September 5.
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