Iceland attracting ever more Swiss

Iceland received over 30% more tourists from overseas in the first five months of this year than in the same period in 2014. Part of this increase is attributable to a massive 185% increase in tourists of Swiss nationality in the first quarter.

The amount of tourists of every nationality increased in the first quarter of this year, except Norwegians and Russians, according to figures from Iceland’s Landsbanki bank.

There were 185% more tourists from Switzerland, 76% more from China and 45-49% more from France, Germany and Italy. A recent Landsbanki report indicates that the Swiss figures are particularly welcome since tourists from Switzerland are reportedly those that spend the most when on holiday in Iceland.

In 2014, British and American made up over a third of all foreign tourists in Iceland, tourists from Nordic countries 16%, and Germans 9%. Overall growth in tourist numbers for 2015 as a whole is forecast to be 23.4%.