How do tourism fees shape the future of Iceland’s most iconic destinations?

RETURN Kick-off Day 2: Field Excursion Along the Golden Circle

On May 22, 2025, participants of the RETURN Kick-off event embarked on a field excursion through Iceland’s renowned Golden Circle, visiting Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and Kerið volcanic crater. This excursion offered a valuable opportunity to explore how different Tourism Revenue Tools (TRTs)are applied in practice and how tourism-generated funds are managed across various types of destinations.

The field trip built directly on the themes introduced during the previous day’s presentations, offering a real-world perspective on the use of accommodation fees, parking charges, and entrance fees to support sustainable tourism and site management.

Þingvellir National Park: Centralized Management in Action

At Þingvellir, we were fortunate to meet with Einar Á.E. Sæmundsen, Director of Þingvellir National Park, who provided insights into the park’s centralized management model. With approximately 1.5 million annual visitors, Þingvellir relies on parking fees to fund services and maintenance. Interestingly, these funds cannot be used for new infrastructure development, but are strictly allocated to maintaining existing facilities and providing visitor services, a key point that sparked thoughtful discussion among participants.

Geysir: A Mixed Ownership Model

Our next stop was the Geysir geothermal area, where we joined Valdimar Kristjánsson, Park Manager, for a walk-and-talk session. Geysir sees around 1.6 million visitors annually and presents a unique case of mixed ownership: the geyser itself is publicly owned, while surrounding facilities are privately managed. This dual structure highlighted the complexities of coordinating fee systems and reinvestment strategies across ownership boundaries. Like Þingvellir, Geysir also utilizes a parking fee system to support site upkeep.

Kerið Crater: A Privately Managed Destination

The final destination was Kerið Crater, which receives approximately 600,000 visitors per year. Managed by Arctic Adventures, we had the opportunity to speak with General Manager Viggó Þór Þórisson. Kerið stands out as the only site among the three that charges a direct entrance fee rather than a parking fee.

This model sparked the most robust discussion of the day. While the site generates significant revenue, participants noted that visible reinvestment in infrastructure appeared limited, and there was no clear indication that the local community directly benefits from the income. These observations led to a broader conversation about transparency, community engagement, and the role of private operators in sustainable tourism.

Key Takeaways

• Fee Usage Restrictions: Across all sites, it was emphasized that tourism-generated funds—whether from parking or entrance fees—are restricted to maintenance and service provision, not new infrastructure development.
• Visitor Volume: The high number of visitors at each site underscores the importance of effective and sustainable tourism management strategies.
• Diverse Management Models: From national park governance to mixed and private ownership, the excursion highlighted the diversity of TRT applications and the need for tailored approaches.

This field excursion offered a rich, on-the-ground complement to the RETURN Kick-off presentations, deepening our understanding of how tourism revenue tools function in practice and how they can be refined to better support both conservation and community development.