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Arctic Yearbook 2014
Tourism development has historically been driven by entrepreneurs within a weak organizational
and institutional framework (Jóhannesson & Huijbens 2013). A general tourism plan has been in
place from 1996, but crucial issues of planning have not been dealt with adequately and there is need
for a revision of tourism policy in Iceland with respect to both the country’s tourism resources and
to tourism as a resource for socio-economic growth. Those include defining and zoning particular
areas for development and protection, monitoring and planning of tourist flows, securing the
necessary investment in infrastructural improvements ranging from toilet facilities to road
construction and general policy about accessibility and entrance fees for natural attractions.
Tourism in Iceland is largely concentrated both in time and space. The result is that some of the
island’s key attractions have come under severe pressure. The Arctic and sub-Arctic natural
environment is extremely vulnerable for degradation due to too much tourist flows. Research on
carrying capacity is being undertaken at several places but studies of social implications of tourism
are still largely absent (Ólafsdóttir & Runnström 2013; Sæþórsdóttir 2010). This includes studies of
economic benefits of tourism development. There \