Iceland’s Þingvellir National Park considers imposing visitor limits amid concerns over overtourism
A discussion about the management of visitor numbers to Þingvellir National Park in Iceland has been brought to the fore by park ranger Einar Á. E. Sæmundsen. He suggests that in the future, there may be a need to impose visitor limits if the number of tourists to the park starts to increase again.
The visitor numbers to Þingvellir have remained consistent over the past two years, despite a reduction in foreign tourists visiting the country. Approximately 560,000 people have visited the Almannagjá canyon this year so far, according to the counter, compared to 1.3 million for the entire previous year.
During an interview with travel website FF7, Sæmundsen shared that informal discussions had taken place within the national park and the Þingvellir Committee about whether a maximum visitor limit should be established. One advantage of national parks, he said, is that visitors tend to spread out more than in other places.
The idea of a visitor limit comes as many popular tourist destinations around the world grapple with the impact of overtourism on local environments and communities. As travel begins to rebound following the Covid-19 pandemic, managing sustainable tourism is becoming an increasingly important issue.