Full Year Analysis
The year in context
With 1,986,153 foreign passengers through Keflavík Airport, 2019 ranks 6th of the 23 complete years on record, 86% of the record set in 2018. Compared with the average of the five preceding years, 2019 came in ahead by 16.7%. Foreign hotel nights reached 84% of their 2025 record.
Overall Performance
2019 marked continued recovery and growth for Iceland's tourism sector. Foreign visitors recorded 4,094,286 overnight stays in hotels throughout the year, an increase of 2.0% compared to 2018's 4,014,116 nights.
Spending Trends
Tourist card spending totaled 236 billion ISK in 2019, down 8.2% from 2018. On a per-night basis, spending averaged 58k ISK, a decrease of 10.0% year-over-year. Spending growth lagged behind volume growth, indicating some pressure on per-visitor expenditure.
Seasonal Patterns
Aug was the busiest month with 484,764 foreign overnight stays, while Apr recorded the lowest volume at 235,536 nights. Average hotel occupancy ranged from winter lows to summer peaks, with a full-year average of 64.5%.
Source Markets
United States of America remained Iceland's largest source market, accounting for 29.5% of foreign overnight stays. United Kingdom (16.0%) and Germany (8.6%) rounded out the top three. Notable growth came from Denmark.
Data Sources
- Overnight Stays: Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands)
- Occupancy Rates: Statistics Iceland
- Card Spending: Central Bank of Iceland (Seðlabanki Íslands)