Ferry Passengers Stay Longer and Travel More Widely Around Iceland

A new report has been published focusing on tourists who travel to Iceland with the ferry Norræna. The report, Norræna Passengers on Iceland’s Roads 1996–2025: A Comparison with Air Passengers, was prepared in collaboration with the Iceland Tourism Research & Consulting and funded by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration’s Research Fund.

The study focuses on visitors arriving in Iceland by ferry at Seyðisfjörður and compares their travel behaviour with that of visitors arriving by air.

Although the vast majority of foreign visitors arrive in Iceland through Keflavík Airport, ferry passengers play an important role. The report’s findings show that Norræna passengers are generally well prepared and use their time in Iceland to travel extensively around the country. On average, they stay around twice as long as summer visitors arriving by air.

Most Norræna passengers travel independently and have their own vehicle. They make extensive use of campsites, giving them considerable flexibility to explore the country. On average, they drive around 1,000 kilometres more within Iceland than visitors arriving by air and are more likely to visit remote areas.

Their travel patterns may therefore help spread tourism to less-visited parts of the country and create additional economic opportunities in those areas.

Report in Icelandic can be read here.