REYKJAVIK’S KEFLAVIK AIRPORT AND ICELANDAIR ARE BOOMING BUT THE FUTURE IS NOT SO CLEAR

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Photo credit: airlinesanddestinations.com

Once regarded as a minnow amongst the big Scandinavian and Nordic airports, Iceland’s Keflavik Airport has been expanding, and continues to do so at a very fast rate, centreforaviation.com reports.

It is still a minnow relatively speaking – Stockholm Arlanda, Copenhagen and Oslo Gardermoen airports all handle in the region of 25 million passengers each year or more,

while Helsinki Vantaa Airport handles around 16 million. Compared to this, Keflavik Airport’s 3.9 million passengers in 2014 is small fry indeed in the land of the codfish.

But its growth rate of over 20% was more than three times greater than the average rate recorded by those four peer airports. Moreover, Keflavik’s monthly passenger growth so far this year (Jan-2015 to Oct-2015) averages almost 26%.

This report looks at what is causing that growth, which airlines are driving it (focusing on flag carrier Icelandair), and how the airport authority is going about catering for it.

It also throws some light on what has made Iceland one of the fastest growing tourist – and transit – destinations and how that remains a conundrum for both Keflavik Airport and Icelandair.

As an airport representing the capital city, Keflavik is only a regional giant when compared to Vagar, which serves Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands (around 250,000 passengers annually) or Kangerlussuaq, the hub airport for Greenland, which handles much less than that.

So for comparison purposes only the four main capital city airports are dealt with here.

Read the whole article at http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/keflavik-airport-and-icelandair-are-booming-but-it-is-uncertain-their-success-can-continue-unabated-255267 

Source: www.centreforaviation.com

#Arlanda #By #Danmark #Ferie #Finland #Flyplass #Flyselskap #Færøyene #Gardermoen #Grønland #Helsingfors #Helsinki #Hovedstad #Icelandair #Island #Kastrup #Keflavik #København #Norden #Norge #Oslo #Passasjer #Reise #Reykjavik #Skandinavia #Stockholm #Sverige #Torshavn #Turisme #Vagar #Vantaa

#Airline #Airport #Capital #City #Copenhagen #Denmark #FaroeIslands #Greenland #Holiday #Iceland #Nordic #Norway #Passenger #Sweden #Tourism #Travel

OSLO: HER SAGES ÅRETS JULETRE TIL REYKJAVIK

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Bråket fra i fjor er glemt – her sages årets juletre til Reykjavik. Oslos varaordfører Khamshajiny Gunaratam (Ap) og Reykjaviks ordfører Dagur B. Eggertsson sager ned årets tre til Reykjavik. Et 55 år gammelt tre fra Nordmarka er årets Oslo-tre, som skal pryde et torg i Reykjavik. Treet fraktes i en container over havet, og kan derfor ikke være høyere enn 12-13 meter. Foto: Rolf Øhman / Osloby.no

Onsdag ble årets julegave fra Oslo til Reykjavik hentet i Nordmarka: Et 13 meter høyt og 620 kilo tungt grantre, som tradisjonen tro skal pryde den offentlige plassen Austurvöllur i Reykjavik sentrum, skriver Osloby.no

– I Reykjavik sier vi at julen ikke kommer før lysene er tent på Oslo-treet. Dette er en tradisjon vi setter stor pris på. Lysene på treet tennes første søndag i advent, og treet markerer at adventstiden er i gang. Et barn som både har islandske og norske foreldre hjelper til med å tenne på lysene, forteller Dagur B. Eggertsson, ordfører i Reykjavik, som selv er født i Norge.

Det var Eggerson sammen med Oslos varaordfører Khamshajiny Gunaratam (Ap) som deltok under årets huggeseremoni ved Maridalsvannet i Nordmarka.

– Det er hyggelig at det settes så stor pris på juletreet, det er jo nesten en «kjendis» i Reykjavik. Jeg gleder meg til å dra til Island om tre uker for å tenne lysene på treet, sier Gunaratam, som debuterte som huggmester.

Hvert år sender Oslo kommune en julegran til Reykjavik og London. Juletreet til London er en tradisjon som stammer fra 1946, mens det første juletreet til Island ble sendt i 1951. Oslo ville gi en gave til Londons befolkning som takk for hjelp og støtte under 2. verdenskrig.

At det er blitt sendt et tre til Island begrunnes med de historiske og kulturelle båndene og at Island har langt færre grantrær enn Oslo.

I fjor ble det foreslått å droppe den tradisjonsrike julegaven til Reykjavik og Rotterdam, til stort rabalder. Ordningen er både dyr, komplisert og lite miljøvennlig, mente kommunen før påske i fjor.

Såpass mye støy ble det, at tidligere ordfører Fabian Stang (H) så seg nødt til å sende leserbrev til den islandske avisen Morgunblaðið. På grunn av all den negative oppmerksomheten så kommunen seg nødt til å snu i saken, og det ble juletre på Austurvöllur også i fjor.

Men sagaen om det vanskelige juletreet fra Oslo endte dessverre ikke der i fjor. Før lysene på juletreet skulle tennes, brakk rett og slett øverste del av Oslo-treet av, etter et forferdelig uvær. Islandske medier skrev om stormen, som ikke bare tok trampoliner og løse objekter, men «selveste Oslo-treet» ble også ødelagt.

Det var et trist syn på Austurvöllur, hvor julestjernen hang midt på det ødelagte treet. Ordføreren spurte til råds på Facebook om forslag til hvordan «julen kunne reddes», og forslagene rant inn.

De fant en løsning og julen ble reddet likevel: Ordfører Eggertson i samarbeid med Skogræktinn, «Skogplanterne» i Reykjavik, fikk hugget ned et nytt tre i siste liten. Selv om det nye treet ikke kom fra Norge, ble det fortsatt kalt for Oslo-treet.

Da Oslo begynte å gi Reykjavik et juletre for mer enn seksti år siden, var det dels fordi byen manglet egne trær. Nå er situasjonen en annen.

– Å sende et tre fra Oslo stammer fra en tid hvor det ikke var noen trær på Island. Mye er forandret siden 1951. Vi vurderer om vi nå, i samarbeid med Oslo, skal begynne å hente ut treet fra et norsk felt i de islandske skogene som ble plantet av nordmenn for over 40 år siden, sier Dagur B.Eggertsson.

Kilde: www.osloby.no

Les hele saken og se bilder her www.osloby.no/nyheter/Braket-fra-i-fjor-er-glemt–her-sages-arets-juletre-til-Reykjavik-8230159.html

#Advent #Ap #Arbeiderpartiet #Borgermester #By #England #FabianStang #Ferie #Hovedstad #Høyre #Island #Jul #Juletre #London #Miljø #Nederland #Nordmarka #Norge #Ordfører #Oslo #Reise #Reykjavik #Rotterdam #Skog #Storbritannia #Tre #Turisme #Varaordfører

REYKJAVIK WANTS GREATER PART OF TOURIST REVENUE

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

The City of Reykjavík, capital of Iceland, wants to be able to either create their own “tourist tax” or receive a part of the current lodging tax, the Reykjavik Grapevine website – www.grapevine.is, reported.

Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson believes that those who pay out the costs of the ever-increasing stream of tourists to Iceland should also be getting revenue from them, RÚV reports.

“We are actually pointing out that the municipalities bear the costs of upkeep and all kinds of other pressures that come with tourism,” he said. “This is why it would be natural for the lodging tax to go to the municipalities.”

To remedy this, Dagur proposes that either the lodging tax be increased, and the increase go towards municipalities, or that the lodging tax go directly to municipalities in their entirety.

It is predicted that one million tourists will visit Iceland this year, many if not most spending at least some time in the capital area, while 1.5 million are predicted to visit Iceland next year.

#Borgermester #By #Ferie #Hovedstad #Island #Ordfører #Reise #Reykjavik #Skatt #Turisme

#Capital #City #Holiday #Iceland #Mayor #Tax #Tourism #Travel

REYKJAVIK VOWS ISRAELI PRODUCT BOYCOTT “UNTIL OCCUPATION ENDS”

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Reykjavik’s city council has approved a proposal for a boycott of Israeli-made goods due to the country’s “apartheid policy.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry in response: “A volcano of hatred is erupting from Reykjavik.”

Reykjavik’s council approved a motion Tuesday to halt the city’s purchase of Israeli products “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues.” The motion was put forward by Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, councilwoman for the Social Democratic Alliance. She is retiring from politics, and putting this motion forward was her last major act in the city council, Deutsche Welle reports.

A member of the governing coalition at the city hall, Sóley Tómasdóttir, told Icelandic public broadcaster RUV that the boycott is a symbolic decision, intended to pressure Israel to stop the occupation. She also said the city might follow it up with boycotts of other countries that violate human rights.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Emanuel Nachson said in response that “A volcano of hatred is erupting in Reykjavik’s city council building. There is no reason or justification for this move, besides hate itself, which is being heard in the form of calls for a boycott against Israel, the Jewish state. We hope that someone in Iceland will wake up and stop this blindness and one-sidedness which is aimed against the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel.”

Some Israelis were taking to social media to comment on the decision, however most of them didn’t take it seriously and were mainly mocking the “meaningless” move, saying they will ban cod fish in return.

SOURCE: www.dw.com

#By #Ferie #Hovedstad #Island #Israel #Midtøsten #Reise #Reykjavik #Turisme #Utenriksdepartement

#Capital #City #ForeignMinistry #Holiday #Iceland #MiddleEast #Tourism #Travel.

REYKJAVIK NIGHTCLUBS TO CLOSE TO ALLOW SPACE FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

A number of nightclubs located in a single building in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik are to shut down in order to create space for more tourism businesses, www.icenews.is reports.

The owners of the property Hurra, Gamla Gauknum, Dubliners, Paloma and Glaumbar, in addition to several others in the premises, are prepared to close the bars and nightclubs in order to ensure there is more room to house operations linked to Iceland’s ever expanding tourism industry. However, details have yet to be released on the type of businesses that are being talked about.

Real estate firm Flelagio owns all the property within the premises apart from the Eik-owned Tryggvagata. Steindor Sigurgeirsson, one of two bosses at Flelagio alongside Jason Wittle. said that the buildings would not be demolished but rather be renovated and developed into tourism oriented businesses.

He went on to reveal that there were many shops on the nearby streets and that they wanted that to be the case inside their building, adding that it would be preferable to bars.

Eik director Garoar Hannes Fridjonsson, who has spoken with Sigurgeirsson about the changes, said that he had nothing new to inform the press at the current time.

Hurra owner Jon Myrdal, meanwhile, admitted that he was surprised to hear of the changes but said that he was slightly concerned. He explained that they were happy to welcome tourists, but they needed more than just tourist information offices and lopapeysur shops.

He noted that concerts had been being staged at Hurra for more than a year, and many customers came from overseas. He added that a number of them had only heard about Iceland because of Bjork or Sigur Ros.

Read more: www.icenews.is

#Bjørk #By #Ferie #Hovedstad #Island #Reise #Reykjavik #SigurRos #Turisme

#Bjork #Capital #City #Holiday #Iceland #Tourism #Travel

ISLAND ER VERDENS TRYGGESTE LAND

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Reykjavik

Island er verdens tryggeste land å reise til, mens Norge kommer helt nede på 17.plass, skriver www.travelnews.no 

Sikkerhet og trygghet er for mange en avgjørende faktorer for hvor vi velger å reise. Historie og kultur er vel og bra, men du risikerer sjelden livet for det.

Dette er litt av bakgrunnen for indeksen til den uavhengige tenketanken Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), som for niende gang har utarbeidet nivået på sikkerheten i 162 av verdens uavhengige land. Disse er deretter rangert utfra hvor fredelige de faktisk er.

Indeksen, som omfatter 99,6 prosent av verdens befolkning, måler global fred i forhold til tre hovedtemaer: Nivået på sikkerhet og trygghet, konfliktnivået innenriks og utenriks, og i hvilken grad landet er militarisert.

Konflikt og krig koster ikke bare uhorvelig mange liv, men også betydelige ressurser. Faktisk belaster vold og krig 13,4 prosent av verdens brutto nasjonalprodukt (BNP / GDP).

Det tilsvarer den samlede BNP i Brasil, Canada, Frankrike, Tyskland, Spania og Storbritannia.

I IEPs måling gikk Island helt til topps med en nesten perfekt score på 1,148, mens Danmark tok andreplassen (1.150) og Østerrike havnet på tredje (1.198).

Norge kom på en noe skuffende 17. plass, som kan skyldes en hendelse i og utenfor Oslo for snart fire år siden.

Cuba (82. plass) er rangert klart foran USA (94. plass), mens et populært norsk ferieland som Thailand er helt nede på 126. plass.

Nederst ligger ikke overraskende Syria, mens Irak ligger rett foran på 161. plass.

Ti på topp

1. Island (1.1341)

2. Danmark (1.150)

3. Østerrike ((1.198)

4. New Zealand (1.221)

5. Sveits (1.275)

6. Finland (1.277)

7. Canada (1.287

8. Japan (1.329)

9. Australia (1.329)

10.Tsjekkia (1.341)

Sverige ligger på 13.plass, Spania på 21., Kroatia på 27., Tyrkia på 36. og Hellas på 61. plass.

#Australia #Brasil #By #Canada #Cuba #Danmark #Ferie #Finland #Frankrike #Hellas #Hovedstad #Irak #Island #Japan #Kroatia #NewZealand #Oslo #Reise #Reykjavik #Spania #Storbritannia #Sveits #Sverige #Syria #Thailand #Tsjekkia #Turisme #Tyrkia #Tyskland #USA #Østerrike 

Island feirer nasjonaldag

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Nasjonaldagsfeiring i Reykjavik. Foto: www.icelandreview.com

Republikken Island feirer sin nasjonaldag i dag,17.juni. Det var på denne datoen i 1944 at republikken ble proklamert. Island var først under norsk herredømme, så under Danmark fra 1380. Island var et monarki i personalunion med Danmark fra 1918. 

Les mer om Island og Reykjavik ved å klikke på hashtagene #Island og/eller #Reykjavik, eller på kategorien “Island” til høyre på siden.

#Blogg #By #Danmark #Destinasjon #Ferie #Fritid #Hovedstad #Island #Land #Monarki #Nasjonaldag #Norge #Reise #Reiseliv #Reiselyst #Reisemål #Reisetips #Republikk #Reykjavik #Storby #Tur #Turisme #Turist #Turistkontor

FIRST PERMIT FOR CHICKENS ISSUED IN REYKJAVIK

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.  

Photo: Pall Stefansson

Sari Maarit Cedergren, resident of Njálsgata in Reykjavík, was on Tuesday issued the first permit to keep chickens in Reykjavík, in accordance with an ordinance approved by Reykjavík City Council last fall, www.icelandreview.com reports.

Sari is reportedly pleased with the decision and has begun preparations for the construction of a chicken coop.

“We have been working on a way to make it possible for those city residents who want to keep hens to do so,” said Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, chair of the City Council Health and Safety Committee, which issued the permit.

“We have not been policing chicken keeping so far, but we hope that if people are keeping them, that they apply for a permit. We want to be considerate of the best interest of all parties; both of those who want to keep chickens and that of their neighbors,” Heiða added.

In order to qualify for a permit, written permission must be sought from owners of all adjacent residences, and in the case of an apartment building with multiple households, written permission from all co-owners of the building.

Applicants are able to apply for permits for up to four chickens. Only hens are allowed, and the keeping of roosters continues to be strictly prohibited within the city limits.

#By #Dyr #Ferie #Fugl #Hovedstad #Island #Reise #Reykjavik

#Animal #Bird #Capital #City #Holiday #Iceland #Travel 

 

REYKJAVIK’S FIRST SOUNDWALK: LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE CITY

Se også vår reiseblogg / see also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no

Photo credit: www.grapevine.is

The wind blows, the sea hisses. Cars putter and splash. The sounds of Reykjavík are all around you and, if you?re like most, the ambient noise goes largely unnoticed as you navigate through your day. But what if it were brought into the forefront for just an hour? Would your perception of the city change?, www.grapevine.is reports.

With a set path that directs the listener through the city on a one-hour stroll, Soundwalk Reykjavík strives to give locals and tourists a new aural experience of a familiar little city.

While teaching in the spring of 2013 at the Icelandic Academy of Art, French composer, vocalist, and sound artist Marie Guilleray proposed a collaborative project to her students: creating Reykjavík’s first ever soundwalk.

-It’s really a different way to experience the city, Marie explains. -I think in these times when everything is about selling and catering to tourists, people are looking for a different experience, something more artistic. They will enjoy this.

Though the compositions that make up the soundtrack were created in the spring, the soundwalk can be embarked upon at any time and the experience will vary depending on what time of day or year it is undertaken.

-It’s important to use open headphones during the walk, not anything that cancels out the sounds around you, urge Marie. -In addition to safety, the reason is that it’s ideal that you can still hear your surroundings. It’s important to be able to hear what is going on around you in addition to the composition in your headphones. Sometimes the two sounds will blend together, and sometimes they won’t, so as the listener you have to create your own narrative based on the two soundtracks, the real and the recorded surroundings, and that, I’ve found, is really good for the imagination.

It is important to note that Soundwalk Reykjavík is not an audioguide. You won’t be told where to turn and be provided trivia about local sites and monuments as you navigate from Hallgrímskirkja to the waterfront, past Harpa, and then wind your way back through the city alongside Tjörnin. Instead you’ll be inspired to ascribe your own meanings and emotions to all that you are seeing, and hearing. to experience Reykjavík in a way that you may never have previously.

Marie and her partner and collaborator Bjarni Gunnarsson are in the midst of creating additional soundwalk compositions in the greater Reykjavík area: one focusing on the harbour, and others directing listeners through Seltjarnarnes and Viðey.

KILDE / SOURCE: www.grapevine.is

#By #Ferie #Frankrike #Hovedstad #Island #Komponist #Kunst #Musikk #Reise #Reykjavik #Sound

#Art #Capital #City #Composer #France #Holiday #Iceland #Music #Travel 

ISLANDS ALLER SISTE – FEM ÅR GAMLE, MCDONALDS-BURGER PÅ UTSTILLING

Se også vår andre reiseblogg / see also our other travel blog www.minbestereise.blogg.no

(Foto: Bus Hostel Reykjavik)

I 2009, etter den økonomiske krisen på Island, stengte hurtigmatkjeden McDonalds dørene på utsalgsstedene sine i landet den 31.oktober, for siste gang.

Men, før de stengte, stakk en mann ved navn Hejörtur Smarason kjapt innom en McDonalds i Reykjavik og kjøpte en cheeseburger og fries.

Men, i stedet for å spise maten, oppbevarte han osteburgeren og tilbehøret i en plastpose de neste tre årene, fordi han ville finne ut om maten kom til å gå i forråtnelse eller ikke, skriver den islandske avisa mbl.is

Han sier til nettstedet at han hadde hørt rykter om McDonalds-maten, at den aldri ble ødelagt eller råtnet opp. Nå ville han teste om dette stemte.

I 2012 ga han burgeren til Islands nasjonalmuseum, der måltidet har vært utstilt inntil ganske nylig.

Museet fortalte til Smarason at de ikke lenger klarte å oppbevare maten, og gav den tilbake til ham. Han ga den videre til noen venner av seg, som driver Bus Hostel i Reykjavik.

Herberget har nå cheeseburgeren og potetene på utstilling, og riktignok ser maten noe slapp ut, men ellers har den klart seg forbausende bra, etter fem år.

(Foto: Bus Hostel Reykjavik)

Bus Hostel Reykjavik har nå satt opp et webkamera som filmer McDonalds siste burger på Island, mens maten sakte, men sikkert svinner hen, men man må nok være tilmodig om man skal bli sittende og se hvordan utviklingen går…

In 2009, after the credit crunch in Iceland, McDonalds closed it’s outlets in the country on 31 October.

However, right before they closed, a man named Hejörtur Smarason stopped at McDonalds in Reykjavik and ordered a cheeseburger and fries.

However, instead of eating the food, he kept his burger and fries in a plastic bag for the next three years, because he wanted to find out whether the food would decay or not.

He tells Icelandic website mbl.is that he had heard rumors about McDonald’s food, that it never went into decay if properly stored. Now he would test whether this was true.

In 2012 he gave the burger to National Museum of Iceland, where the meal has been exhibited until quite recently.

The museum told Smarason that they could no longer keep the food and gave it back to him. He then gave it to some friends of his, who runs Bus Hostel in Reykjavik.

The hostel has now the cheeseburger and fries on display, and the food has fared surprisingly well, after five years.

Bus Hostel Reykjavik have set up a webcam were you can wiew the last McDonalds cheeseburger on Iceland…


Webkameralink: www.bushostelreykjavik.com/last-mcdonalds-in-iceland

Les mer på www.bushostelreykjavik.com

#Burger #Herberge #Hostel #Hovedstad #Island #Mat #McDonald #Museum #Reykjavik #Webcam