Tourism is a booming industry in Iceland and both authorities and local industry are working to ensure sustainable growth. This week, AECO has been in Iceland to meet with local stakeholders and share experiences from managing environmentally friendly and considerate tourism in the Arctic.
While Iceland is not part of AECO’s geographic range, Icelandic stakeholders have shown great interest in AECO’s tools and guidelines for managing environmentally friendly and considerate tourism in the Arctic. Over the past days, AECO has met Department of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Icelandic Tourist Board, Environment Agency of Iceland and Bifröst University to exchange knowledge and experiences.
AECO also participated in a Community Specific Guidelines workshop in Seyðisfjörður. Seyðisfjörður, a town of around 700 inhabitants in East Iceland, is set to become the first Icelandic community to develop Community Specific Guidelines based on AECO’s template for community guidelines.
The workshop gathered representatives from local authorities, tour operators, Seyðisfjörður port and the culture and tourism sector. The goal of the workshop was to develop guidelines that will help tour operator carry out visits in a considerable and environmentally friendly manner.
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