Shreya Shimpi
The Incoming Delegation of Partners for Roadshow this year included Mr. Thorleifur Thor Johnson, Senior Manager, Trade Delegations – Business Iceland; Mr. Ársæll Hardarson, Regional Manager, GSA Asia, Middle East &; South America, Icelandair; Mr. Erling Aspelund and Ms. Kristín Björnsdóttir, Owners, Iceland Encounter; Bjarni Hrafn Ingólfsson Managing Director; Terra Nova.
In an exclusive chat with BOTT, Thorleifur Thor Jonsson shares some information on Iceland’s plans for the India market.
How do you see India as a market for tourism?
India is one of our biggest markets in Southeast Asia from the tourism point of view. Indian travellers like to spend well on their vacations. Iceland has been receiving a considerable number of tourists from India and they are very important to us. Iceland offers a different experience to them with regards to the climate, terrain, cuisine and a lot of other factors which are worth exploring and provides an interesting contrast. There are acres and acres of land without any people. If you wish to seek solitude and adventure, Iceland is your place to be.
What are the challenges that you have been facing after the pandemic?
Tourism was badly affected globally, but the major challenge was that a lot of the staff in the tourism and hospitality sector left their jobs and never came back. Due to this, we have been understaffed. We were surprised by the response we received after the pandemic since such a footfall was unexpected. We opened up very fast post-pandemic and we are now completely open devoid of any travel restrictions. We are glad that people are choosing Iceland for travelling. We look forward to giving them the experience to remember and stories to share.
What are the various attractions which are worth visiting?
The very famous Northern Lights are among the key highlights. They are best seen from the beginning of September to late March. You can go fishing and catch the best fish or have the best organic and locally grown vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes, coming straight from the greenhouses and are grown all around the year. The Midnight Sun is also a sight to behold. The cleanest drinking water in the world is available here. Tourists can also visit the spas for relaxation and rejuvenation. Bathing in thermal baths is an Icelandic tradition. We also have some volcanic eruptions and few of our tourists have been lucky to witness fresh eruptions. You also need not worry about Indian food as we have some excellent Indian food restaurants as well.
What is so special about Iceland?
We have a population of only 370,000 people. We have adopted a renewable and sustainable lifestyle. We harness geothermal energy and hydropower. Most of our resources except oil are self-produced; hence we remain unaffected by any kind of crisis. Hot water is pumped from the ground and we produce all the energy locally. We are an easy and peaceful society having the No.1 World Peace Index and we are also number one as far as gender equality is concerned. The cuisine of Iceland especially the fish is worth trying. The Reykjavik Marathon is famous too. The recreational facilities are affordable as well.
Are there any marketing strategies in place to attract Indian tourists?
At the beginning of 2019, we had started direct flights from India to Iceland but those could not be continued due to some reasons. We hope to start the services soon and we are optimistic since great interest is shown by Indian tour operators. There is a possibility of it happening within the next five years and that will help us increase our network as well. We are at present working only with the B2B market and trying to make connections with tour operators. We do not have a huge budget for marketing but we do advertise across our social media platforms. We believe that our best marketing happens through word-of-mouth from tourists who have visited Iceland.
What would be your message to our readers?
Come and see something different and experience Iceland. There is a lot to explore.
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