Summary
June 2010 was part of Iceland's peak summer season, characterized by midnight sun and maximum tourist activity. Foreign guests recorded 138,786 overnight stays in hotels, compared to 125,499 in June 2009—a +10.6% change year-over-year.
National hotel occupancy stood at 65.8%, down 0.7 percentage points from 66.5% in 2009. Foreign card spending totaled 5.5 billion ISK (-9.4% YoY).
June 2010 in context
Foreign hotel nights for the year to date, January through June, reached 456,048, up 4.1% on the same period of 2009. Within 2010, June ranked 3rd of the twelve months by foreign nights. Against the average for June over the five preceding years, this month came in ahead by 15.2%.
Germany was the largest source market with 26.6% of foreign hotel nights, and the top three markets together accounted for 48.5%. Hotel occupancy of 65.8% means that share of available rooms was sold across the month; this is a healthy shoulder-season level with capacity still available outside the capital. Spending figures are foreign card turnover reported by the Central Bank and exclude cash and purchases made before arrival.
Foreign Overnight Stays by Source Market
The top source markets for June 2010, ranked by overnight stays:
| Rank | Market | Nights 2010 | Nights 2009 | Change | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 36,911 | 24,745 | +49.2% | 26.6% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 15,951 | 17,285 | -7.7% | 11.5% |
| 3 | United States of America | 14,386 | 12,177 | +18.1% | 10.4% |
| 4 | Norway | 10,320 | 7,963 | +29.6% | 7.4% |
| 5 | Denmark | 9,935 | 8,678 | +14.5% | 7.2% |
| 6 | Sweden | 7,636 | 9,253 | -17.5% | 5.5% |
| 7 | France | 7,263 | 6,700 | +8.4% | 5.2% |
| 8 | Other European countries | 5,611 | 6,298 | -10.9% | 4.0% |
| 9 | Netherlands | 4,966 | 6,439 | -22.9% | 3.6% |
| 10 | Switzerland (incl. Liechtenstein) | 4,026 | 3,570 | +12.8% | 2.9% |
Hotel Occupancy by Region
Regional hotel occupancy rates for June 2010:
| Region | Occupancy 2010 | Occupancy 2009 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Region | 70.7% | 74.0% | -3.3 pp |
| Reykjanes | 67.0% | 58.6% | +8.4 pp |
| Total | 65.8% | 66.5% | -0.7 pp |
| North | 58.1% | 56.0% | +2.1 pp |
| South | 57.7% | 55.6% | +2.1 pp |
| West & Westfjords | 57.6% | 55.4% | +2.2 pp |
| East | 51.8% | 49.7% | +2.1 pp |
Foreign Card Spending
Total foreign card turnover in June 2010 was 5,477.31 million ISK (5.48 billion ISK), compared to 6,043.49 million ISK in June 2009.
This represents a -9.4% year-over-year change. Despite growth in overnight stays in hotels, spending declined—possibly reflecting lower per-visitor expenditure or shifts in spending patterns.
Domestic Tourism
Icelandic residents recorded 17,692 overnight stays in hotels in June 2010, down 24.0% from 23,279 in 2009.
Data Sources
- Overnight Stays: Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands) — foreign and domestic guest nights in registered hotels
- Occupancy Rates: Statistics Iceland — room occupancy as % of available hotel capacity
- Card Spending: Central Bank of Iceland (Seðlabanki Íslands) — foreign debit/credit card turnover