It seems that the negative effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano seem to be wearing off already. During the massive disturbance of air travel, some tourists cancelled their summer trips to Iceland and bookings were down.

“The long term effect of the eruptions to the travel industry does not seem to be great. The marketing efforts that were started by Icelandic authorities seem to be producing results,” Fridrik Pálsson, owner of Hótel Rangá and more hotels in South Iceland, told Morgunbladid.

Rósa María Vésteinsdóttir at Hofstadir in Blönduhlíd, Skagafjördur said: “We seem to be weathering the storm.”

Hjalti Gunnarsson at Kjóastadir in Biskupstungur has worked for Íshestar, a horse renting company, for years and he said: “It looks like we have turned the corner.”

Hördur Sigurbjartsson of Nordursigling in Húsavík says that the company expects more tourists this year than in 2009. He says it is the effect of good marketing. Last year between 40 and 50 thousand people went on whale watching trips with the company, a 20 percent increase from the previous year.

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