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Iceland Says Tourism is Booming, We Say Let's Go

We've been fans of zany Iceland for a long time now, and correctly tipped that it's the new budget destination - and now we hear that tourism in Iceland is going through a boom.

The Icelandic banking crisis and drop in currency value might mean that there are less locals sitting in the pubs these days, but it has made it much more affordable for tourists to pop over, with cheap fares from both the US and Europe. Tourism board director Oloef Yrr Atladottir (pronounce that!) actually sounds pleased that his nation's no longer classified as an expensive destination, and we couldn't agree more.

It's all landscape in Iceland: hot springs, geysers, waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes. Getting out to these places is cheaper now and there are deals galore to attract tourists, with the hope we'll prop up the local economy a bit. Ever since we read about how to get a date with an Icelander we've been craving a trip to Iceland, so maybe we'll jump on the boom's coat-tails and try it out.

Flights from the US are cheap right now - for example, Icelandair flies from JFK to Reykjavik for $455 return. With places like the Hilton Reykjavik offering last-minute rooms for 12,700 koruna (under $100), there are plenty of incentives to get there now, before the boom breaks.

Related Stories:
· Iceland Tourism Booms as Currency Plummets [The Age]
· Iceland Invites You To Take Advantage Of Its Economic Misfortunes [Jaunted]
· Iceland Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: taivasalla]