Icelandic tourism operators demand enhanced winter road services to extend travel season

Tourism operators in rural Iceland are calling for enhanced winter services to extend the tourism season, according to a new survey examining their views on road management. A tourism researcher highlighted that road maintenance received notably poor ratings from businesses in the region.

The most dissatisfied respondents are from the Westfjords and West Iceland, where the condition of the road network has been a topic of discussion. Rögnvaldur Guðmundsson, a tourism researcher, emphasized the significance of winter services, particularly in areas where tourism is not an all-year-round industry. He noted that companies are eager to lengthen the operational period by improving road services.

For instance, he mentioned the new road to Dettifoss and its accessibility, which he estimates is open for only about half the year—7 to 8 months. Operators want the season extended on either end to provide year-round service, especially since substantial investments have been made in this infrastructure.

In the East Fjords, respondents expressed a wish to improve the road through Öxi and construct the Fjarðarheiðargöng tunnel. In the northern region, there was a preference for the Tröllaskagagöng tunnel over Fljótagöng. Meanwhile, in South Iceland, many favored the idea of doubling the road to Hellu, with fewer focusing on tunnels to the Westman Islands. In the Westfjords, completing the tunnel between Ísafjörður and Súðavík was identified as crucial.

Furthermore, maintenance of unpaved roads was perceived as lacking. However, respondents showed satisfaction with information on road conditions. Overall, road maintenance and new constructions received notably low scores from survey participants.