Skipping the British festivities this Cold Season
In the spring and summer of 2022, Iceland's whale watching tours have been a resounding success, attracting a multitude of visitors, particularly from the UK. According to Freyr Antonsson, the owner of Arctic Seatours in Dalvík, the sightings of whales, including Minke whales and porpoises, have been truly spectacular.
The current trend in whale watching tourism paints a very positive and thriving picture, with one of the oldest operators reporting a staggering 99% success rate in spotting humpback whales in 2022. These tours, lasting approximately three hours, are well-reviewed, with 92% of travelers rating the experience very positively.
Whale watching remains a popular and distinctive attraction in Iceland, supported by related tourism infrastructure such as the Whales of Iceland museum in Reykjavik, the largest whale museum in Europe, featuring life-size models of 23 whale species. This enhances visitor engagement and education around whales.
However, Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, owner of Elding whale watching company in Reykjavik, has expressed concern over the decline in British tourists for whale watching tours this spring. According to data from Business Iceland (Íslandsstofa), there has been a significant decrease in arrivals from the UK, with a decline of around 40%.
Despite this setback, Antonsson notes that June has been steady and consistent for bookings of whale watching tours. Contrasting Grétarsdóttir's comments about the winter, Antonsson mentions that there haven't been any booking surges for whale watching tours this summer. However, he states that this summer's turnout for whale watching tours has been solid.
Grétarsdóttir, on the other hand, expects visitor numbers for whale watching tours this year to be similar to last year. She notes that the weather has been good lately and there have been unusually successful sightings of whales. Despite the slow start to the whale watching season this year, she believes the number of tourists for whale watching tours between 2016 and 2018 was similar to the expected number for this year.
In conclusion, while there has been a decline in British tourists for whale watching tours this spring, the overall trend in whale watching tourism in Iceland in spring and summer 2022 remains positive, with high whale sighting rates, excellent tour reviews, and a supportive range of tourist amenities that appeal strongly to international visitors, including the British.
The current decline in British tourists for whale watching tours this spring, as mentioned by Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, might affect the tourism industry slightly. However, Freyr Antonsson notes that the lifestyle and weather conditions in Iceland during the summer of 2022, particularly its positive impact on whale sightings, could have a favorable effect on travel plans, encouraging a significant number of tourists to join whale watching tours.
