As the number of visitors to Iceland rises (the first 6 months of 2007 saw a 19% increase on the previous year), questions surrounding the status of Iceland’s tourist attractions have begun to be raised. Currently all major attractions in Iceland do not charge visitors an admission fee. However, the vast numbers of tourists flocking to Iceland to see the sites are starting to cause a variety of problems.
The lack of adequate fencing or warning signs recently came to light after a Polish tourist was helicoptered to hospital suffering from serious burns caused by the spouting hot water at Geysir. Proponents argue that charging an admission fee at sites such as Geysir would help finance the construction of improved fencing and warning signs telling people of the dangers.
Another problem of the growing number of tourists is waste. The vast majority of attractions do not have waste disposal facilities and as a result rubbish is often left strewn around for days. Public conveniences are also lacking, as is clear marked paths guiding people where to walk. Introducing an admission fee could help to solve these problems by paying for facilities such as rubbish bins, ‘do not litter’ signs, more toilets as well as marked pathways.
However, critics of an admission fee argue that it would be difficult to cordon off waterfalls or other large natural sites, not to mention the eyesore large sections of fencing would cause. They maintain that the tourist attractions in Iceland should be free for all people to visit and that people should be encouraged to give voluntary donations rather than charging an admissions fee.