News | Iceland Monitor | Thu 4 Jan 2024 | 12.00 GMT

Want to bring life back to Grindavík

Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, minister of Tourism Trade and Culture,had a meeting with businesses in tourism in Grindavík yesterday. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg

Tourism companies in Grindavík are keen to reopen their businesses, according to Minister of Tourism Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, who met with tourism companies in the area yesterday. She says it is therefore important that a further risk assessment be issued for the area so that it can resume operations. For example, the Blue Lagoon, which has been closed since early November, apart from two day.

The earthquakes yesterday are seen marked size 4,3 on tha map, but also lave from December 2023 to the left near Svartsengi and in the middle lava from 2021, 2022 and 2023. To the right are earthquakes over 2 in size yesterday and the time they hit. Map/mbl.is

Alfreðsdóttir says it is equally important to think about the future of Grindavík and mentions that the meeting was used to take stock and have a convesation with the company owners. There were various ideas that people agreed on the need to prepare well while there was time. Suggestions about how to promote tourism and culture in the area and also how to increase people’s attitudes towards the Reykjanes peninsula and the unique seismic activity in the area.

When asked, Alfreðsdóttir said it was a good meeting and she felt that the community was hopeful and full of positive energy.