The private owners of the Geysir geothermal area, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland, have reiterated their concern that damage is being done to the area as a result of it being overcrowded. They request a quota on visitors.
It costs ISK 600 million (USD 4.5 million, EUR 4 million) to repair the area and establish infrastructure suitable for mass tourism, but the government is not willing to spend the necessary amount on building up and protecting it, Garðar Stefánsson, spokesperson for the private owners, told Fréttablaðið.
This year, 700,000 tourists are expected to visit the small geothermal area, which lies 100 km (60 miles) east of Reykjavík and is part of the Golden Circle tour.
The Geysir area is partly privately-owned and partly owned by the Icelandic state. The private owners tried to charge people visiting the site but the government banned the practice.
