The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland: Tips, tricks, and what the Icelanders really think of you

by Alda Sigmundsdóttir, Megan Herbert (Illustrator)

Iceland is in the midst of an unprecedented tourist boom that has brought wealth to the country, but also myriad issues and challenges. Through a series of short essays, this book provides a unique insight into the social and environmental impact that tourism is having on Iceland, and with wit and intelligence offers invaluable tips for touring safely, responsibly, and in harmony with the locals. A fascinating resource for anyone interested in contemporary Iceland, and an essential companion for all visitors to the country.Among the topics addressed in this • Why now?—Reasons for the tourism boom in Iceland• The impact of tourism on Iceland’s housing market, health care system, law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and more• Touring Iceland, staying safe—the things to keep in mind while traveling in Iceland’s treacherous terrain• Out driving. The most dangerous parts of Iceland? Its roads! Read our tips for staying safe• What they think of us—he things our visitors complain about• What we think of tourist behaviors that really, seriously irk the Icelanders• Crazy stories of tourists in Iceland (hahaha oh lord!)• The environmental depletion of natural resources, pollution, and the physical impact of tourism• Taxing tourists? The endless debate and what it entails• Can't we just all get along? Tips for touring in harmony with the locals• The truth about those Iceland jailed bankers, believing in elves, the incest app, sleeping around … don’t believe everything you hear!• The hilarious questions we get (“What time do the northern lights come on?”)… and so much more!Excerpt"Yes, Iceland’s landscape is treacherous, and there are dangers in both expected and unexpected places. Yet the most dangerous aspect of touring Iceland is not those hot springs, glaciers, or rogue waves, but something far more driving.

Iceland has a very low population density—only about three people per square kilometer, or eight per square mile. Building and maintaining an efficient road system obviously costs a few crowns, and hitherto the Icelanders have been, if not entirely satisfied, then at least reasonably content with their single-lane highways, gravel roads, and the mountainous F-roads that are generally only open in summer.

So here we are, merrily driving on our sub-standard roads and suddenly there is a tourist boom, resulting in far more cars on the road than ever before, including whole convoys of tour buses. This means increased wear and tear on roads that were already unsuitable for so much traffic and that require more frequent maintenance if they are to be kept safe. Also, many Icelandic roads are not built for the volume of traffic that they are now experiencing. For instance, shoulders have been known to collapse when a tour bus has moved too far over to one side of a narrow road, in order to make way for an oncoming vehicle. Thankfully there have been no serious injuries to people under such circumstances, but there have been enough scares to make people stand up and pay attention.

A related problem that has been growing ever more serious is the limited experience of many folks when it comes to the driving conditions endemic to Iceland. I am speaking of driving in strong winds, winter driving, two-lane highways, gravel roads, and so on. [...]

So the road system definitely needs a major overhaul. However, that is not an undertaking that can be completed overnight, and besides, it is entirely open to debate whether we want all those roads improved. More on that later.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Humor

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2017

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye-opening and honest look at the impact unprecedented tourism has had on Iceland. The author touches on environmental, financial, and social aspects in her sobering and real commentary, while still presenting the information in an engaging and humorous way.

I picked this book up from a library display thinking it would be a neat guide to the Icelandic people, their ways and mannerisms, their character and culture. It’s not really that sort of book, nor is it a traditional guidebook offering up the best sites to see or the best places to dine or stay. It is an interesting mix of insightful essays and amusing anecdotes that serve to educate and inform, along with tips to help you be a more responsible and mindful tourist.

The lessons learned from Iceland’s sudden influx of tourists serve as a valuable guide for both tourism authorities and tourists. Each side will come away from this read with a better understanding of their role in maintaining harmony. More importantly, we all are reminded to be responsible and respectful travelers and visitors not just in Iceland, but in any part of the world.

[Maria V. Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good information without being overloaded with facts. I liked reading what the Icelanders think of all these tourists that outnumber them 6 to 1! After reading this, I'm glad we're touring with a guide and not driving!

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative guide on how the tourist boom in Iceland has affected the country in the last 8 years, both positively and negatively. She covers the environmental, financial, and aesthetic aspects of the increase in tourism. Recommended for thoughtful travelers who want to reduce impact to the environment and annoyance to natives. Our first visit to Iceland was in 2010 so I’m eager to see the changes to the country since then.

[Bregje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! Much more than just a travel guide, this book discusses the effects tourism has on Iceland and its inhabitants. Some of the anecdotes were a little depressing (especially regarding Icelandic politics), but the tone was mostly light and humorous, making it both an interesting and entertaining read.

[Douglas A. Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about impact of tourism in Iceland. Sounds a bit "complainy" at times but the author provides very good reasons for it. I have just returned from a trip to Iceland and I wished I had read it before I visited. So definitely this is recommended reading before going to Iceland. Having said that, I will keep all the good advice in mind next time I visit.

[Cory · Rating 2 out of 5]

The few useful points that the author makes are not worth the tone of their book which seems to come from too much time spent in her Facebook complaining about all the annoying tourists who are ruining their country. Tourism has saved Iceland and the challenges they pose require thoughtful solutions that are really not too difficult to address. But being constantly belittled makes this really a tough read. I thought I would enjoy the book, the tips, and even gratitude for being a respectful tourist who loves to visit Iceland like no other place in the world.

In short…this book isn’t helpful to prepare you for your trip…unless you like the condescending tone. Stick to other tourism guides, be smart, show gratitude and respect for the beauty of the country and then marvel at the charge you have to witness creation in process.

[Jan Burtch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just returned from Iceland this book is a must read for those planning a trip. Iceland has so much to offer tourists but at what expense to the people of Iceland and the integrity of the land. A real dilemma addressed by the authors.

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I like this book or did I not? I am not sure which is the clear answer. But let's take it from the beginning.

Goodreads suggested this book to me, as I was reading the Lonely Planet for Iceland, to prepare for a road trip we are planning. I saw the reviews that were saying that it is an amazing book, all tourists should read it before going, it is important and so on... So I got the kindle version and I read it.

Indeed Alda Sigmundsdottir has written the little book of tourists in Iceland. She explains what to expect in Iceland and what needs attention when you drive there and what is different in the arctic climate and the small island up there. For example if you find sheep in front of you press the horn, but if you find horses don't do that and don't park your car next to them as they will lick the colour off. She explains who has priority in one-lane bridges and who in one-lane tunnels.

She also mixes a bit of information about the life of Icelanders. What happened after the almost bankruptcy in 2010, how is the housing market and how Icelanders cope with the dark winters and bright summers.

In additions she elaborates on the major mistakes ignorant tourists do, such as not washing totally naked before entering in the pools and what happens if you do that. (Trust me, if you are ashamed, better wash naked). Or what stupid tourists do, such as going on glacier walks, or jumping in ice cold (2C) creviches and driving after thes saw the sign that the street is closed. And somewhere there she gets tiring and whining and very boring. What annoys Icelanders includes the noise of the wheels of suitcases on the pavements in Reykjavic and that downtown Reykjavic is more touristic than Icelandic. Well you don't get the positive of tourism only. And the tourists cannot do anything against these things, except from not coming to Iceland, which I suppose will also be not ok.

If the part about these stupid comments was missing, I would have put 4 stars to the book. Have I learnt something more about Iceland? Yes. But would I have missed something if I hadn't read it? Definitely not.

[Lee-Anne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insider Icelandic info

I enjoyed this book of Alda's immensely, although with some feeling of shame, being a part of the problem by having visited, fallen in love with, and revisited and revisited Iceland. Her early paragraph about tourists like myself who love the beautiful country but are dismayed to see others treat it with such casual disregard was such a relief. Alda is informative, entertaining, and above all kind. But it's hard to escape the fact that I'm a part of this lumbering, ignorant, destructive giant of tourism that is both blessing, but largely cursing this wonderful little country. Visiting on 3 consecutive Octobers we have seen significant and saddening changes just in the two years bracketed by those trips. As occasional visitors ourselves dismayed to see off road tire tracks on the black sands, footpaths eroded, 'do not pass' signage ignored, the need for 'do not poop' signs...how much worse must all this be for the folk who have to live with these ignorant incursions all day every day? But Alda outlines the pros and cons sympathetically, and highlights the problems inherent in the country's own management of itself and its current situation. I found it a quick but enjoyable read, and I will certainly be enjoying more of Alda's works!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit whiny in the beginning but this book quickly evolves to give a great overview of recent Icelandic economics, tourism, governmental ineffectiveness, and cultural clashes. The author, while valuing how tourism dollars are helping Iceland, worries about the long term effects on their pristine wonders.

The chapter of stupid questions by tourists is both hysterical and a warning to future travelers to learn about the country before visiting.

[Sophia Trinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful to open my eyes to some of the issues affecting Icelanders relating to tourism. I will definitely read about some of the social issues in more detail and hopefully Alda has some other writing on the subject as her style is direct and informative.

[Alex Ghio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dampened my desire to go to Iceland

This books was good at making people not want to go to Iceland. I am not sure but it is possible that this was the exact goal of the author.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

super informative in a concise manner (i especially appreciated the compilation of websites with info useful for daily travel), but as other reviews have mentioned, you really get hit with condescension especially as you progress further into the book. which could've been justified -- because yes, i can totally understand why tourists overwhelming your country's resources and leaving toilet paper everywhere can be infuriating -- but i also wanted to juxtapose two excerpts that made me want to bang my head against the wall. though not as blatantly egregious, the sentiment reflected in the first excerpt is echoed in other sections. i was going to say the following makes the book irredeemable, but i guess their existence is compatible with me actually having had learned some useful stuff and i can still see myself referring to it in the future (hence the two stars).

Excerpt 1 : "At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, there is increasing alarm among the Icelandic population concerning the number of Asian tourists who clearly have very little actual driving experience ... In many instances these folks' motoring experience have primarily been in driving simulators and they have virtually no practice in driving on stranded roads."

Ok actually reading this excerpt, I realize even in isolation how hilariously ridiculous it is ... yes, the stereotype that Asians are bad drivers is not new, but ma'am, have you realized that Asia is a whole-ass continent (>60% of the world's population), not to mention all the emigrants and their descendants from Asia who are also likely to be categorized as such??? i'm impressed you've been able to witness such a wide swath of these individuals so the extent that you feel so confident in your ability to draw this conclusion! MOST of our experience has been on driving simulators??? goddamn, there are that many driving simulators in existence??? someone contact the tech moguls, they're going to want to get in on that.


Excerpt 2 : "How do Icelanders feel about all the tourists spilling into their country? It is a question I get often, and it is not one that can be answered with a standard response, for the simple reason that "Icelanders" is not a uniform group."

the inconsistency between the principles that are operating in these two sections is truly poetic.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read on how Iceland has tried to cope with the huge influx of tourists, how they still need to adapt, and what will happen when the tourism boom goes away. For example, in the early 2000s, the number of tourists surpassed the national population, but now there are 6x the number of visitors to Iceland than its population, leading to issues of accommodation, driving up rent prices, a worker shortage, lacking restrooms, environmental impacts, roads and infrastructure not built for such trafficking, food shortages, etc.

[Asliselcuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to this on Audible as we were taking a taste of Vanlife ing in Iceland, with my husband. It was a magical trip and this book was the perfect gem to accompany it. Alda loves her country and she has lived many many places. She gives a much needed perspective into the country's culture and how tourism if done not in a mindful manner can have a detrimental impact to the environment and how it changed the country in a positive and negative manner over the years. I love how she writes and narrates the book simply but beautifully. Our experience would not have been the same if it was not for this book. We corrected some behaviors and really immersed ourselves into the landscape, food and culture as much as we could. Read this book before or during your trip, it is funny in some places too! You will not regret it...

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and informative. Looking forward to my trip and being ready to behave as a proper guest. Sad that some of the things needed to be said at all, but in my line of work, I can't say that I am shocked that people generally are rude and self-centered.

[Leah Hortin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made me want to visit Iceland less so if that was the point, mission accomplished? Except we depart next week so...

There were some interesting nuggets and the driving section seems particularly useful but the tone of the book is off-putting, and it was a bit dry in parts.

[Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess everything I thought I knew about Iceland was wrong but good thing I learned about it before I went there.

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly informative and important. A must read for anyone visiting Iceland.

[Stephanie Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

great reading while traveling in Iceland

A little sarcastic, sometimes dry, often hilarious….I read this while traveling through Iceland. I shared many of the things I read with my tour guide and he was able to talk more about it. He also lived hearing the stories I read as I made my way through the book.

[nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

would recc everyone to read this one thing before going to iceland

this was actually v engaging
looks into how tourism has affected iceland + all kinds of tips for tourists (i think ppl would be a lot more safe after reading this lol)

[Sonnya DeBonis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, with interesting insights and information. The tone became too negative for me by the end.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this before traveling to Iceland and there is some good advice/comments in here for travelers, like how important it is to take the dangers of Iceland seriously (be prepared for the weather, for the rapid changes in conditions, etc.). I was hoping for more advice, but maybe what's in here is the most important things to say. I didn't totally love how much the book makes fun of dumb tourists--like if there are half a million visitors every summer, of course there are going to be a handful of real ding-dongs in there, because that's just how people are. Any touristy city or country is going to include some dumb tourist stories.

But I did appreciate having a local's view on tourism in Iceland.

[Catherine Naamani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wasn’t quite sure how to rate this book. I struggled initially as the message was so negative but some of the anecdotes were both insightful and funny. Whoever knew Icelanders were such clean freaks...and oh, the disappointment to learn the Blue Lagoon isn’t a natural phenomenon. All told, a warts-and-all, thought provoking and intriguing account of the impact of tourism on Iceland, a country that has always fascinated me, from when I studied Old Icelandic at university and which I’ve long wanted to visit. It will be interesting to see how Iceland’s tourist industry now recovers post-Covid

[Half Abude Scheidl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mandatory handbook for anyone visiting Iceland

I bought this book a few minutes before boarding my flight to Iceland. It proved to be a very good resource about the country and how we tourists have affected it. It is very short and does not go into too many details on history etc, but it covers important topics about staying safe, respecting nature and being a responsible tourist.

[N Mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone visiting Iceland should read this book.

Very well written book on the impact of tourism in a beautiful and fragile ecosystem. The good, the bad,and the ugly on tourist behavior plus an honest look at corruption surrounding the money to made by less than scrupulous politicians and families with power and control. Alda is an excellent writer,and this is the second book I have read by this author since discovering the books in Reykjavik.

[Cathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started off good; it was interesting, informative, and entertaining. Then about 3/4 through, the author succumbed to some kind of whine-fest and it took a real nosedive. The author also made what she called a "politically incorrect" (and utterly ridiculous) observation about a race of people and their driving skills. What she meant to say was that her observation is racist, not politically incorrect.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to be a good tourist - thoughtful, respectful, and appreciative. Learn about the place too. So for a vacation to Iceland, this author was recommended. This was a good primer on the impact of the tourism boom in Iceland and the things to keep in mind and do right (or avoid doing wrong) while spending time vacationing there. Enjoyable and useful. I am also now reading another of her books “The Little Book of Icelanders” about the people of Iceland (modern culture).

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting overview of impact of tourism on Iceland in recent years. Dives into the positive (has helped the economy recover since the crash) and the negative (impact on the environment, corruption, furthering the income gap, etc.) Quick read and would definitely recommend if you're traveling to Iceland, but this book is not a travel guide.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that more tourists to Iceland should probably review this little book of knowledge by Alda Sigmundsdóttir. She offers the Icelandic perspective for visitors about the country, culture, and ways of life. I appreciated her candor and honest perspective of the complexities the impact of tourism has had on Iceland in the last decade -- a must read if you plan to visit or want to know more!