Minister to blame for ‘pooing tourists’

Former Icelandic Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson has launched a scathing attack on the current Ministry for Industry and Trade for what he describes as a “complete lack of development at tourist locations”.

“After two and half years in office, Ragnheiður Elín [Árnadóttir, Ministry for Industry and Trade] has done almost nothing in terms of developing tourist locations,” writes Skarphéðinsson on his Facebook page.

“While tourist numbers rise steadily – not least thanks to the successful and widely acclaimed campaigns launched by the previous government […] – at many popular sites, infrastructure is bursting at the seams. Some places are very crowded and desperate tourists have to do their business in the open air […].”

“And how does the Minister react?” wonders Skarphéðinsson. “She cleverly explains that this is a ‘behaviour issue’. […] The fact, unfortunately, is that the root of the problem lies in the Minister herself. In two and a half years, Ragnheiður Elín has done nothing to secure the necessary revenue flow to develop tourism infrastructure.”

Instead, claims the former Foreign Minister, Árnadóttir has been in protracted conflict with the tourism industry on how best to develop infrastructure. In opposition, she was – Skarphéðinsson claims – the “staunchest opponent of the previous government’s amendments to taxation policy, which would have secured the revenue needed to solve the problem”.

“The Minister’s only ‘achievement’ is the defunct Nature Pass, which both her party and the tourism industry shot down in flames for being the silliest idea put forward in decades,” continues Skarphéðinsson’s rant.

“Of course there is a ‘behaviour issue’ here. But isn’t it clear that Ragnheiður Elín’s ‘behaviour issue’ is her own inactivity?” concludes the post.