9. janúar 2024
Supporting international flights to East and North Iceland
Arnheiður Jóhannsdóttir, CEO of Marketing Office of North Iceland, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Culture and Business Affairs, Pétur Óskarsson, CEO of Business Iceland, and Dagmar Ýr Stefánsdóttir, CEO of Austurbrú
On January 9, the Minister of Culture and Business Affairs, Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, signed a contract with Business Iceland (Íslandsstofa) for continued support in marketing Akureyri Airport in North Iceland and Egilsstaðir Airport in East Iceland. The Nature Direct project intends to encourage cooperation between Business Iceland, Isavia (the national airport and air navigation service provider of Iceland), the Marketing Offices of North Iceland, and Austurbrú (East Iceland) in promoting the airports for direct international flights to the regions. The agreement is for two years, and its annual contribution amounts to 15 million Icelandic krona (€100,000/USD 109,000).
The Prime Minister's Office reported the news on its website, which states that through these agreements, Isavia's domestic airports and Business Iceland will assist in promoting the airports and the Flight Development Fund. The fund aims to support the development of new flight routes to Iceland so that we will have regular international flights to the airports in Akureyri and Egilsstaðir.
"One of my priorities as minister is to promote the distribution of tourists throughout the country during the off-peak season. The most effective way to do this is to encourage direct international flights to these regions. EasyJet's flight from London to Akureyri is a major milestone, and there are numerous opportunities in tourism in North and East Iceland," says Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir.
"At Business Iceland, we look forward to our ongoing cooperation with North Iceland, Austurbrú, and Isavia in promoting these incredible destinations. Exciting opportunities lie ahead," says Pétur Óskarsson, CEO of Business Iceland.
Minister Alfreðsdóttir granted the marketing offices of North Iceland and Austurbrú a contribution of 20 million Icelandic krona (€133,000/USD 145,000) each to promote the destinations, infrastructure, services, and products to assist in preparation for the arrival of prospective tourists with direct international flights to Akureyri and Egilsstaðir.
Read full article on the web of Government of Iceland (in Icelandic)
