Hi there! My name is Cole LaPlante, and I am one of the fifteen students embarking on the study away course, “Otherworldly” Iceland: Culture, Environment, and Tourism in a Globalized Age. Even though we are only one day into the actual course, several of its themes are becoming present in our explorations of the city, the people, and its culture. A major theme of the course is to not think as a conventional tourist and rather analyze the tourism industry as a whole. In one full day of being here, we have seen plenty of examples of how the city of Reykjavik is largely catered to tourists. The city center or often referred to as the “101”, has the highest density of tourists in the city during the day. American and Asian cuisines line the streets, as well as Puffin Gift shops and a few Casinos even. You do not hear much Icelandic language while in this area unless it is from the employees of the businesses. With this amount of non-Icelandic people and culture, we can ask the question of, is the tourism industry able to sustain the Iceland economy and culture?
One element that positively affects both the economy, the environment, and the tourism industry is the extensive city bus system Reykjavik has. Yellow and red colored buses stop at hundreds of bus stops throughout the city every fifteen minutes, making traveling throughout the city efficient and convenient for both Icelanders and tourists. Many people know how in European countries public transportation is utilized at a much greater rate than in American cities. The implementation of a more sophisticated bus system could benefit the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in American cities. This transportation system provides a great example of a positive way where tourism and the economy go hand in hand. However, the lack of Icelandic language throughout the city is concerning in regards to sustaining Icelandic culture through its language. English is everywhere. Street and airport signs, menus, and buildings all have the English translation on them, and it is often in a larger, bolder font than the Icelandic words. This is definitely a convenience to us travelers, but it is hard to not feel guilty knowing you may be contributing in a negative way towards the Icelandic culture.
Now, like a lot of things, there is another side to this story. Tourists input an incredible amount of money into Iceland’s economy each year. Tourism has overtaken fishing as its largest industry and continues to grow at astonishing rates. It provides thousands of jobs and has been an essential part of Iceland’s economic rebound since the recession in 2008. So, this is another spot where we can ask that question about tourism and how sustainable it can be.
I saw this graffiti (Picture below) on our first day near Hallgrimskirkja, a famous church and tourist hotspot in Reykjavik, and I think it is an accurate representation of how some Icelanders feel towards the tourism industry. According to many of the articles and journals assigned in this course, Iceland has seen a large increase in the number of immigrants to the country filling jobs during the economic boom. Reading this also added to the feeling that I am a part of the tourism industry that is not benefitting the Icelandic culture. However, as we continue in this course, we hope to find feasible solutions to the problems that occur between Icelandic culture, tourism, and the environment, and then take those solutions and apply them to the places we call home.
