What kind of marketing activities does Iceland want to conduct in India?
– We are simply putting our focus on establishing good connections with the travel agencies as they are the key people in play and we don’t have the resources to do mass marketing in a huge market like India hence our focus is on travel agents to educate and inform them about the offerings of the destination so that it makes it easier for them to sell the product better.
What are the covid-related updates?
– Iceland is entirely open to tourists. All the citizens of Iceland have been vaccinated with 3 doses each, including young children. We are now in discussions to roll out the 4th dose for citizens over the age of 60 by this autumn. Tourists are welcome to come and go as they please.
What are the Airline connections and Visa requirements between India and Iceland?
– Unfortunately, there are no direct flights between India and Iceland as yet however we are strongly connected to all major cities in Europe and UK. As Iceland is part of the European territory, a Schengen visa is required to enter the country.
What are your top source markets and where does India stand?
– Our key inbound markets are the USA, the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, and the rest of Europe. It highly depends on where we have direct flights coming in from. In reference to Indian visitors, pre-covid in 2018 and 2019 we saw 20,000+ tourists in both years. However, with Covid, it went down to as low as 2000. The first 6 months of 2022 have seen a boost of travelers from India and we are already at 6000 tourists. Since the majority of Indians visit us in the later part of the year, the numbers look hopeful and we are expecting them to surpass pre-covid arrival numbers.
A message for the Indian Travel Trade –
“Iceland has a unique opportunity so don’t be afraid. We can supply you with delicious Indian food and we can do everything that is required to provide you with a rounded holiday experience. We are of course a unique country and have many things that are extraordinary. Iceland is a very safe destination with the highest gender equality in the world. We welcome you to our icy paradise to come over and explore and see things you would never otherwise dream of seeing.”
