Perlan will begin charging visitors to go out on its observation deck starting on September 1 of this year, reports Viðskiptablaðið. Guests aged 16 and above will have to pay ISK 490 (USD 4.60, EUR 3.92), but children and visitors to the ice cave and glacier exhibition on the groundfloor of the building will continue to enjoy the view from the top for free.
The decision to charge a fee for the popular overlook was made due to an increase in maintenance and operational costs, says Perlan management, although they say that there are also plans to use the funds generated to add more informational placards on the deck, thereby enhancing guests’ experiences and giving them a better sense of the locations and landmarks they see in front of them.
“When its busiest, we get around 5,000 guests at Perlan each day and this traffic has necessitated increased spending,” remarked Perlan director Agnes Gunnarsdóttir. She also indicated that the building itself would continue to be open to the public free of charge.
The prospect of the fee has raised some concern, as the observation deck has become increasingly popular with visitors over the years, both foreign and local. However, Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson is not opposed to Perlan charging a fee for adults, saying that the decision is in accordance with the rental agreement, which stipulated, among other things, that the buildings lessee should install viewing telescopes on the deck and that Reykjavík schoolchildren should always have free access to it.
