Death of Iceland

[Rajan Parrikar]

http://icelandreview.com/stuff/views/2017/04/04/death-iceland

http://stundin.is/pistill/endalok-islands/

[LesPalenik]

And now, with the new Wowair discount airline which uses Keflavik airport as a hub for their many scheduled flights (and the airplane cabins for handing out all kinds of tour package offers), we can expect many more tourists, stopping for at least a day or two touring the island. 

[Rajan Parrikar]

And now, with the new Wowair discount airline which uses Keflavik airport as a hub for their many scheduled flights (and the airplane cabins for handing out all kinds of tour package offers), we can expect many more tourists, stopping for at least a day or two touring the island.

I got an email re. Wow just this morning from a native: "Just yesterday the CEO of WOW air declared that he is buying 7 new jets, 2 of them wide body to be used for ‘Asia’. Number of passengers on WOW will double in the next 2 years. I think you enjoyed the last few good years, just in time."

[BAB]

Yosemite has this same over populated situation as well as many other National Parks, heck there is even a beach in California overrun at sundown. If you go to the beach in January and it 40 out there will be a crowd of people unless its raining. Not to mention how rude they are even the photographers will stand right in front of your tripod without any excuse me or am I in your way. I hope Iceland gets the drift the money is not everything.

[DeanChriss]

...
I hope Iceland gets the drift the money is not everything.

IMO it's too late because it has already been popularized and people are lined up to go. With so many of us there are few nice places in the world that are not overrun.

When I first went to Canyonlands National Park in the early 1980s all of the roads were dirt, canyon rim overlooks were completely natural, and you could hike all day without seeing anyone. The roads have since been paved and widened twice, most canyon rim overlooks were paved and had railings installed, and annual visitation has increased by eight times. It's the same everywhere.

[VincentR]

We're 7.5 Billions of people on this rock and we shall be around 10 Billions by 2050.

"Secret" places will become fewer and far between.

[LesPalenik]

We're 7.5 Billions of people on this rock and we shall be around 10 Billions by 2050.

That will be a greater catastrophe than the volcanic eruption Rajan mentions in closing of his article.

[Peter McLennan]

Tourism destroys itself.  I visited Bali in 1979 and again in 1993 and was appalled at the changes wrought by mass tourism on that lovely isle.
I saw it again in New Zealand last November.  Busloads, immune to the tranquility of Lake Pukaki, destroying by their very presence the natural beauty they came to see.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I'm so glad I got there in 1974 for two weeks in June.
Yes, there were other tourists there then and tour groups, but we saw other groups only once the entire two weeks.
And I never saw a single piece of litter, anywhere.

-Eric

[francois]

The issue with tourism is global. Barcelona is choking and many Italian cities are considering putting limits on the numbers of vistors…

[kers]

I live in Amsterdam, and people start complaining about it has become a sort of Disneyworld.
I can remember some luxury apartments were built just next to the Vondelpark ( or most central park) and the new inhabitants insisted that some trees had to be removed to have a clear view on the park..

At some point every beautiful spot will turn into some international tourist environment, losing al its special characteristics that attracted them in the first place.
The good thing is usually these tourists pollut only small parts of the area; go some km away from that area and you find your self alone.
When i was in Iceland- in 2000- i only saw these kind of tourist at ... the geiser. Iceland in two days...

[Paulo Bizarro]

Similar thing is happening/will happen to the Azores, especially the island of Sao Miguel. Low cost flights have opened the island to mass tourism. If properly regulated, and if the spirit of the place is preserved, its not necessarily bad.

There are ways to prevent this: make the place expensive enough, so not many can afford to visit. Restrict the number of visitors. Etc.

The problem is, tourism is a nice source of income for the local populations, so it's not easy...

[MattBurt]

I have been hearing of so many people going there for a visit and they aren't even photographers! I guess I missed it.

People have fears this will happen here too but I hold on to the hope that the -30 F winters will help keep the balance.

[Rajan Parrikar]

People have fears this will happen here too but I hold on to the hope that the -30 F winters will help keep the balance.

Not a chance. First of all, because of the gulfstream effect the south of Iceland is not as cold as people imagine (places in the US are colder). Secondly, the marketing of northern lights ("bucket list" item for many) has been immensely successful. Third, just like Europeans (Germans, Italians, Swiss etc) flock to Death Valley in the middle of summer, people from the Far East have started doing the same heading to Iceland in the middle of Dec. So, no respite year round.

[Hans Kruse]

I agree that many places in the world is overrun by tourists. But there are many places especially photographic that is not overrun at all, especially if you choose the time of year appropriately.

1) Dolomites in Italy. Completely filled in late July and through August. Cars are going bumper to bumper. Come in September and October as I do there are some during the week-ends and during the week very few. Lots of hotels are closed down due to lack of visitors. The same thing in late May and June. At the same time this is the best time of year to visit from a photographic point of view.

2) Val d'Orcia in Tuscany in Italy. April is pretty empty from tourists out in the landscapes. May it starts with quite a number of tourists in the most popular towns. Out on popular landscape shooting locations like the Belvedere view outside of San Quirico you need to come early to secure a tripod spot. However almost all other spots there are not many. In November which is a favorite of mine where are still time when the Belvedere is busy especially in the week-ends, but everywhere else there is nobody.

3) Abruzzo and Umbria in Italy. Abruzzo has been one of my favorite locations and there are very few coming there. Some tourists in the week-ends, but otherwise not. Never a problem of getting people in your shots. The timing is late May or June and late September and October. Umbria at the Monte Sibbilini National Park is busy in late June due to all the flowers there. This year Iøm not sure due to the earth quakes last year. Wonderful locations for photography.

4) Sicily in Italy. In April and November not many tourists at all. Lots of nice places to shoot.

5) Isle of Skye. Whenever I have been there in November, May and September quite busy with tourists and photographers and lots of tourists from Asia.

6) Lofoten in Norway. In February and March lots of photographers coming, but not really overrun.

7) Venice in Italy. Filled with tourists but if you walk into the side streets I have found lots of places with few people.

[SrMi]

...
6) Lofoten in Norway. In February and March, lots of photographers coming, but not really overrun.

7) Venice in Italy. Filled with tourists but if you walk into the side streets I have found lots of places with few people.
...

Thank you for sharing information about good times to visit places!

In March Lofoten is crowded mostly around Hamnoy and a couple of most popular beaches.
Except probably at carnival times, Venice is not that crowded very early in the morning (until about 9 am) and very late in the evening (midnight).

[MattBurt]

Not a chance. First of all, because of the gulfstream effect the south of Iceland is not as cold as people imagine (places in the US are colder). Secondly, the marketing of northern lights ("bucket list" item for many) has been immensely successful. Third, just like Europeans (Germans, Italians, Swiss etc) flock to Death Valley in the middle of summer, people from the Far East have started doing the same heading to Iceland in the middle of Dec. So, no respite year round.

Right the -30 temps I'm talking about are here where I live in Colorado. We are a less known area than the places you typically hear about with lots of natural beauty but bitterly cold winters. I'm hoping that will keep this valley from getting too popular. Only a certain kind of person can live here and be comfortable. For better or worse it certainly keeps the homeless away too. You just can't be homeless here in the winter unless you have Everest style winter camping gear (which can be as expensive as a small house).

[Rajan Parrikar]

Matt - After I sent in my response I realized that you weren't referring to Iceland.

[john beardsworth]

7) Venice in Italy. Filled with tourists but if you walk into the side streets I have found lots of places with few people.

And isn't that an important point! Fight over the standard spot for tripods, or walk 10 minutes and find the landscape is yours alone.

[Hans Kruse]

And isn't that an important point! Fight over the standard spot for tripods, or walk 10 minutes and find the landscape is yours alone.

Absolutely! I saw that when I was last time in the Canyonlands in Utah and everybody was gathered around Mesa Arch and elsewhere at that wonderful view there were nobody. So took quite a number of shots and then went down besides the arch and talked with some of the photographers after the sunrise and they said that you really almost have to come with a sleeping bag to reserved your spot to shoot the sunrise