What about tourism? Analysis of the role of the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration in the sustainable development of tourism destinations and travel routes in Iceland.

©Eyrún Jenný BjarnadóttirITRC received a research grant in beginning of 2023 from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration Research Fund for the research project: What about tourism? Analysis of the role of the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration in the sustainable development of tourism destinations and travel routes in Iceland.

The development of travel routes around the country is gaining popularity and involves many different actors. The aim of this study is to analyse the role of the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration when it comes to development of destinations and travel routes in Iceland. Additionally, the decision-making and work process in developing new travel routes will be analysed. The questions that will be answered are: Which stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process of this kind of product development and how is the dialogue between actors? What are the main challenges and benefits of different stakeholders in the development and maintenance of travel routes in Iceland?

The study will focus on three travel routes that have been developed by the country’s regional marketing offices. The routes are:

  • The Arctic Coast Way: which is a 900 km travel route covering the northern coastline of Iceland and opened in the year 2019.
  • The Westfjords Way: a 950 km travel route in the Westfjords peninsula which was launched in the year 2020 after the long-awaited Dýrafjörður tunnel formally opened.
  • The Volcano trail: which is a new 540 km travel route covering the south coast of Iceland. 

This research is a qualitative study where key stakeholders will be interviewed. The project ended with a final report to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration in 2024. The report is available in Icelandic. 

Ása Marta Sveinsdóttir [asamarta@rmf.is], Eyrún Jenný Bjarnadóttir [ejb@rmf.is] and Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir [gudrunthora@rmf.is] will manage the project.