Exploring Iceland

Representatives from Iceland – including 14 tourism partners and three marketing officials – were in Toronto on Friday (Nov. 13) to highlight the destination’s diverse offerings to the travel trade.

Margrét Helga Jóhannsdóttir, pictured left, project manager, tourism and creative ideas at Promote Iceland told PressToday these road show workshop events are key initiatives to meet with the industry, as Iceland doesn’t have proper representation abroad.

“Like every market the Canadian market is growing,” she says. “Last year we had 38,000 guests arriving the whole year, so far this year up until the first of November we are up to 39,000 so it’s definitely going to grow at least about 15-20% and it has been like that for the past few years.”

Home to the most powerful waterfall in Europe, four million puffins and 170 geothermal pools Jóhannsdóttir says one of the things that makes the country special is its belief in mythical beings like elves and trolls.

“We have The Yule Lads, there are 13 of them, they’re our Santa Clauses,” she says. “We believe they live in the mountains and they have a mother that’s terrible and she eats children, so the aim is to get children to behave.”

Another goal for agents to takeaway from the event is to know what Iceland has to offer during the less busy winter season.

“There’s so many possibilities of activities, places to see and cultural events to experience in winter and of course we have the Northern Lights during that period,” she says.

In 2016 Promote Iceland will be launching an educational training module for the agents on its travel trade website.

“The aim is to inform the agents and the motive for them would be to get the certification that they have an Iceland specialist working in house,” she says.

Pictured below: Christina Annese, regional sales executive of Icelandair.