Press release
Reykjavík 15.06.2020
As of today, June 15th, Iceland will be opening its borders to tourists. Before starting their journey to Iceland, tourists have to fill out a preregistration form and download the C-19 app on their phones. Upon arrival in Iceland, passengers can choose between taking a PCR test at the airport or self-isolating for 2 weeks. The PRC test will be free of charge for the initial two-week period, after that, from July 1st onwards; the price will be set at 15.000 ISK. After undergoing the PCR test, tourists can leave the airport, but are advised to travel with caution until the test results are confirmed. Those can be expected within 5 hours and will appear in the C-19 app or text message.
“It has been amazing to watch the Icelandic nation tackle the Coronavirus, where cooperation and complete trust in authorities has been key. Months of hard work are now paying off”, says Gyða Guðmundsdóttir spokesperson for Cruise Iceland. Being an island, it is easy to monitor the population and track new cases with aggressive testing.
The Corona-crisis has taken its toll on the Icelandic economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism. “We are very pleased with the authorities’ decision to open the borders, with next-to-no new cases, we are ready to welcome vessels of all sizes again in Iceland.” Says Pétur Ólafsson, port master of Akureyri and chair of Cruise Iceland. He goes on; “This might even be the perfect time to visit, since there will be a lot less tourists than previous years. We will definitely not be facing any congestion problems and passengers can enjoy the services offered by ports and tour operators, and thereby contributing to the local community, where many have been sitting idly since the corona-crisis started”.
Expedition vessels are expected to arrive in Iceland from mid-July, with new operating measures in place, such as social distancing, increased medical personnel on board and frequent health monitoring of passengers. With Iceland so scarcely populated, those passengers can look forward to immersing themselves in the spectacular nature, away from crowds and away from their homes, where many have been isolating. Small group, nature-based tourism is what Iceland does well.
For further information and port bookings, please contact your port agent. For general inquiries contact Hera Gunnarsdóttir, Managing Director of Cruise Iceland info@cruiseiceland.com
Cruise Iceland
Cruise Iceland was established in 2004 to combine the resources of all those involved in receiving cruise ships to help promote Iceland as an exciting destination. Today 30 companies are members of Cruise Iceland including 22 ports providing easy access to every area of the country. Other members are for example shipping companies and tour operators, which have an abundance of both diverse and exciting shore excursions to offer.