While not a member of the European Union, Iceland is nonetheless part of the passport-free Schengen zone, the external borders of which the European Commission has seen fit to reopen as of July 1, 2020.
Iceland will be among the first places to reopen its borders to international travelers post-pandemic. The Nordic nation relies rather heavily on tourism revenue, and the impact of COVID-19-related travel bans was substantial. The National Statistical Institute of Iceland estimated that the island suffered a 28-percent decline in tourism takings from foreign visitors.
Iceland's latest border travel policies offer inbound visitors the option to either take a COVID-19 test upon arrival or adhere to the standard fourteen-day quarantine. Those who are tested receive their results within 24 hours via the 'Rakning C-19' contact-tracing app (which they're required to download) and, once cleared, are free to head off to their excursions around the country.
Airport testing measures have been introduced as the safest conceivable way to restart the tourism sector, but industry leaders worry that the screening fees of around US$114 may prove off-putting for potential tourists who are considering Iceland as a summer destination.
"Iceland has managed the pandemic exceptionally well, and that is due to widespread testing. We are dedicated to protecting the health of our fellow citizens and visitors, and testing ensures maximum safety," remarked Styrmir Þór Bragason, Founder and CEO of eco-tourism company Arctic Adventures.
Þór Bragason said that tour specialists received a flood of inquiries following the announcement of Iceland's reopened borders, but that those would-be travelers remain wary and retain some pandemic-related concerns.
Realizing that paying for mandatory COVID-19 testing represents an extra stressor for travelers, Artic Adventures is alleviating that burden by covering the testing fee for its foreign guests, and it's encouraging other Icelandic tour operators to do the same. Some, it says, are already following suit. "Our goal is to make this process easier by covering costs and revitalize our tourism sector," Þór Bragason said.
"Testing costs aside, Iceland should be an attractive destination for pandemic travelers this summer. It is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, which makes social distancing quite easy," he explained.
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