International visitors 2022
The results of a survey conducted by the Icelandic Tourist Board among foreign tourists for the period of May to December 2022 are now available. In a brief summary or report, the results for all respondents are presented in graphical form and in tables.
Composition of the group
Approximately one-third of respondents were from the United States, and about 10% were from the United Kingdom. Germans (8%) and French (8%) followed. The average age of respondents was around 40 years, and the gender distribution was relatively equal. About half of the respondents had above-average income, about two out of five had average income, and about one in ten had below-average income. Most were on vacation or about nine out of ten respondents. More than half of the respondents had visited Iceland before.
Factors influencing the decision-making process
Respondents were asked to what extent individual factors, twelve in total, influenced their decision to visit Iceland. The country's nature scored the highest (97%), followed by nature-related activities (86%), an interest in arctic regions (82%), and coverage in various media (78%). Friends and family (59%) and Icelandic culture and people in general (55%) also had a significant impact.
About 20% of tourists got the idea of visiting Iceland within three months before the trip, about 20% within three to six months before the trip, and 20% six to twelve months before the trip. About 44% got the idea more than a year before.
The time from booking the trip to Iceland was shorter than a month for about 20% of tourists in 2022. About one-third booked the trip one to three months before the trip, and about 50% booked it earlier.
Length of stay and distribution
The average length of stay for foreign tourists was 7.6 nights. About one-third (36%) stayed for one to three nights, about half for four to eight nights, and about 20% for nine or more nights.
Most (91%) visited the capital area, about four out of five visited the southern region, about two out of three visited Reykjanes, about half visited the western region, about one-third visited the northern region, about one-third visited the eastern region, and about 13% visited the Westfjords.
The average length of stay for those who stayed in the capital area was 3.3 nights, 3.2 nights for those who stayed in the southern region, 2.5 nights for those who stayed in the northern region and the Westfjords. The average length of stay for those who stayed in other regions was just under two nights.
Travel and entertainment
When asked about the main mode of travel during the trip to Iceland, three out of five mentioned a car rental, about a fifth an organized bus trip, about 3% public transport and about 14% another form of transport.
When looking at what kind of recreation tourists were using, it turns out that 57% went to a natural bath, 38% to a spa or pampering treatment, 33% to museums, 31% to a bus tour, 25% to an organized hike or mountain tour, 24% to swimming , 23% in whale watching and 21% in glacier walking or climbing.
Recommendation Score (NPS)
The NPS score for Iceland as a tourist destination was measured at 82 in 2022. For comparison, the NPS was measured at 86 in 2021, 80 in 2019 and 70 in 2018. This is a measure that indicates the difference in the percentage of those who are willing to recommend tourist country and the percentage of those who are more likely to oppose it. NPS can range from -100 to 100.
Opinion on various aspects
Tourists gave their opinion on several factors related to tourist destinations, the road system, services and quality in tourism in general and performance in environmental matters with a rating ranging from 0-10.
The general condition of popular tourist destinations and related security issues scored the highest with an average score of 9.1. About three out of four gave the highest rating for security (9-10) and about seven out of ten for the general condition of tourist attractions. Performance in environmental issues and sustainability scored second highest with an average score of 8.9, but two out of three gave the highest score (9-10).
Service and hospitality in general, quality in general in tourism and diversity in entertainment scored similarly with an average score between 8.7 and 8.8. Around six out of ten gave these factors the highest rating (9-10), between 28-31% a medium rating (7-8) and less than one in ten the lowest rating (0-6)
Factors related to the road system received an average score of between 8.4 and 8.5. More than two out of five gave the condition of roads and safety in relation to roads and traffic a medium grade (7-8) or the lowest grade (0-6), and about two out of five did the same in relation to road signs and surface markings.
The number of tourists scored the lowest on tourist spots (7.8 in the average score), while a quarter gave this aspect the lowest score (0-6) and a third a medium score (7-8).
Expectations and returns
The trip to Iceland exceeded the expectations of almost seven tourists out of ten. For three out of five, the trip met expectations, and only 2% were of the opinion that the trip had not met expectations. When the respondents were asked whether the trip had been worth the money, almost half said that the trip had been of great value, about two out of five that it had been of neither great nor little value, and about 12% that it had been of little value.
Almost half of the respondents thought it was very likely that they would come back and about 30% rather likely. About two out of five are interested in coming in summer, about a fifth in winter and almost a quarter in spring or autumn. On their next trip, almost a third of tourists want to visit Vestfjörður and the North, almost a quarter the South, more than a fifth the East, almost a fifth the West and the capital area. Around 13% want to visit the Reykjanes peninsula.
Open report
About the survey
The survey among foreign tourists is carried out at Keflavík Airport upon departure. The aim of the survey is to gather statistical information to be able to give a clear picture of the behavior and attitudes of tourists in Iceland. The data is weighted with regard to nationalities and takes into account the departure counts at Keflavík Airport. The results published here are based on eight thousand responses from tourists who traveled to Iceland between May and December 2022.
From now on, it is planned to publish short summaries in a similar manner every month with the overall results for each month. More detailed results based on the background variables of the survey will be available later.