The Icelandic Tourist Council wants to emphasize that day-to-day life in Iceland is going on as usual, even though the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier on the south coast of Iceland has made a profound impact and generated dangers in that specified area. In other parts of the country, Icelanders’ daily life is proceeding quite normally.
The volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull. A screenshot from the Míla web cam.
Even though the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull is relatively small, airborne volcanic ash has dispersed over a wide area and disrupted air travel in Europe. It is the joint task of the aviation and tourism authorities in Europe to find ways to transport travelers to their destinations with absolute safety.
It is the task of Iceland’s Civil Protection Department to ensure that the utmost safety measures are followed in Iceland, and to provide a constant flow of information to all parties that need it. This is being handled in a very efficient and experienced way by teams of experts in all relevant areas. Euro Control and the Volcanic Ash Centre take decisions on air travel authorizations in Europe.
Even if the eruption is prolonged—and its duration is impossible to predict—it is considered not unlikely that volcanic ash formation will taper off once the preconditions for the mixture of water and embers no longer exist.
The Icelandic Tourist Council hopes that exaggerated and misleading news reports on the eruption and the impact on daily life in Iceland, published in some of the international media over the last couple of days, will not cause undue alarm but encourages travelers to keep abreast of developments.
Travelers currently in Iceland are safe and sound, and the appropriate parties are making every effort to make their stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
All travelers stranded in Reykjavík due to the flight restrictions to Europe have been offered a complimentary Reykjavík Welcome Card which gives access to all the museums and exhibitions in Reykjavík, thermal pools, public transport and more.
For further information, contact the Icelandic Tourist Board or the Reykjavík Tourist Information Office.
Click here to learn more about the ash fall and the necessary precautions.
Our special offer for the Iceland Review magazine with eruption photos and coverage. Now you can also buy a unique book with Páll Stefánsson’s photographs of the eruption on Fimmvörduháls.
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