In an effort to encourage growth momentum of Indian arrivals to Iceland, Representation World in cooperation with Promote Iceland & Embassy of Iceland is holding a travel workshop in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Preferred travel agents, tour operators, MICE providers and up-market leisure operators will be attending the event in the respective cities. The roadshows will include an interactive workshop to aid trade members in planning itineraries and responding to customer queries. With an aim to educate the trade partners from different regions and discuss the business model for 2020-2021, Promote Iceland and its stakeholders aim to drive more business and numbers towards the destination.
H.E. Mr. Gudmundur Arni Stefansson, Ambassador of Iceland in India says, “The Embassy is actively promoting tourism in India through various activities including shooting of Indian films in Iceland. To cater to the needs of the growing tourists from India, the Embassy initially started issuing visas in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Apart from these cities, we have recently added Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai and Kochi through VFS Global directly. I see a tremendous potential in the growth of tourism figures from India to Iceland, we had a 50 per cent increase in the number of tourists traveling to Iceland and is increasing rapidly. Iceland is full of exciting activities and breath-taking landscapes. You can witness geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, valleys and endless stretches of black sandy beaches. I welcome you all to experience and be Inspired by Iceland.”
Mr. Thorleifur Thor Jonsson, Senior Manager, Promote Iceland says, “Iceland has become a well-known and an established destination in recent years. Iceland is continuously expanding the number of interesting nature-based attractions for our visitors to complement the natural attractions. Several spa facilities have opened in the last year giving the visitors a chance to relax and explore one of Iceland’s best resource; the geothermal energy. As tourism is becoming more established in Iceland the service level is increasing especially in the areas outside the capital. An increasing number of high-level hotels have opened and in general, service to our visitors has improved. Tourists are very happy with their trip to Iceland according to surveys. The Net Promote Score (NPS) between months in 2019 was between 75 to 86. NPS means how likely a person is to recommend travelling to Iceland. Everything above 50 is considered excellent and above 70 is considered world class. In our roadshow we hope to introduce all the possibilities to our Indian business partners.”
Ms. Deepika Sachdev, Advisor for Tourism & Culture says, “Tourism is the fastest growing connection between India and Iceland. There is a fast-growing interest of Indian travellers to visit Iceland to experience its natural beauty and of course the Northern lights. Indian travellers are not afraid to brave extreme cold weather as a survey revealed a 34 per cent growth in Indian travellers wanting to visit Iceland. Thus, there has been a rapid increase in the number of tourists from India over the past four years. The total India outbound tourism market is expected to exceed USD 42 billion by end of 2024 and the time is right to tap this huge opportunity.”
She further adds, “Since October 2019, the Embassy in New Delhi have started processing visa applications for Iceland, which will further enhance the growth of outbound tourist from India to Iceland. At the Embassy it is our constant endeavour to promote Iceland as an exotic tourist destination for Indian travellers. Iceland is on the bucket list of many people and it is an excellent location to witness Northern lights and its picturesque landscape.”
Vineet Gopal, Director, Representation World says, “Iceland has a lot to offer in terms of tourism and it is imperative that the scope of engagement between both countries should now be taken to the second level. India is one of the most crucial and promising tourism markets and we aim to increase visibility of Iceland as a leisure, adventure and business destination amongst Indian travellers. Thus, increased engagements with education boards, tourism sector, policy makers and business community will help the Icelandic companies to cultivate relationship with the India market. Iceland offers a plethora of things to do and see for the discerning traveller. With thrill-seeking adventures, it offers the best discoveries of nature. Visitors can experience the active volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, glaciers, ice fields, fjords and the Northern lights. This sparsely populated country, resting at the edge of the Arctic Circle, sits atop one of the world’s most active volcanic areas.”
