A comprehensive new of hundreds of visitors to Iceland reveals their thoughts on the carbon footprint that holidays make, who’s responsible and how visiting Iceland has shaped attitudes.
Over 250 visitors who toured in Iceland with Arctic Adventures completed the survey. Participants overwhelmingly expressed worry about the environment, with glacier-shrinking cited as the most pressing concern.
Arctic Adventures’ CEO and owner, Jon Thor Gunnarsson, said of the survey results: “Like everybody else, we are gravely concerned about the effects of climate change. Inaction is not an option. As a company, we invest in local climate initiatives, strive to educate about the effects of global warming and maintain as low a carbon footprint as possible on all of our tours.”
“The results of this survey are a cause for cautious optimism: Not only are the public concerned about the environment, but this concern grows after they see Iceland first-hand. This is a perfect example of travel’s ability to change people for the better. Also, the survey showed that many tourists are willing to take positive steps, whether this means skipping fragile sites they’d like to visit or travelling with an environmentally friendly company – even if it means having to pay more to do so.”
Survey Highlights: Attitudes to the Environment
Looking at the reasons for going to Iceland*:
- over 85% of visitors come to Iceland for its beautiful scenery
- 73% said to experience Icelandic culture
- 60% had interest in the Icelandic region
- 19% visited because had seen the country in movies or TV
- and 35% wanted to see local wildlife
*For this question, participants could give more than one answer
In response to the question: “How concerned are you about climate change?” 98% answered “somewhat” or “very” concerned.
53% of participants said they were “more concerned about the environment” after visiting Iceland.
Survey Highlights: What can be done?
Most visitors who took the survey believe in taking some action:
Most visitors who took the survey believe in taking some action:
81% said they’d be unlikely to visit an attraction of they knew that visit had a negative impact on the environment.
91% said they would be more likely to book with an environmentally friendly company, and 69.96% said that they would pay more for a holiday if they knew that it had less of a carbon footprint.
There are numerous steps tour companies can take to mitigate their carbon footprint. Popular suggestions among participants included*:
- Limited access to sensitive sites – 85% approval
- Sponsorship/adoption of endangered animals – 60%
- Purchase of land for protection purposes – 60%
- Donating a percentage of profits to environmental causes – 77%
*Participants could choose more than one answer.
Also, interesting: most feel that they’d like to know more about the impact of their holidays, with 67% saying that tour companies don’t inform them enough of the environmental impact of their holidays. This is an opportunity for greater transparency and communication between tour operators and their customers.
“This survey shows us that more can be done”
“Over 2 million tourists a year visit Iceland,” said Jon Thor Gunnarsson. “We strive to be a conscientious and environmentally responsible company; we have a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy on all of our tours, and we have numerous certificates verifying our low-impact policy.”
“Over 2 million tourists a year visit Iceland,” said Jon Thor Gunnarsson. “We strive to be a conscientious and environmentally responsible company; we have a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy on all of our tours, and we have numerous certificates verifying our low-impact policy.”
“However, this survey shows us that more can be done: our visitors are affected by their visits to Iceland and want to learn more. We will be upping our commitment to the environment, starting with outreach and education to visitors to this beautiful country, which is at the front lines of the fight for a clean Earth.”
Tags:Arctic Adventures
