In the days before the 'VID, residents in Iceland were pushing back on the overwhelming onslaught of international visitors. Today, just a handful of flights arrive at their international airport and the country is starved for visitor spending.
In New Zealand, it's a different story. They too were dealing with an influx of visitors that was threatening their way of life. However, Leadership there is viewing the pause in visitation as a moment to rethink how it will manage tourism in future years.
This is not to say that leaders in Iceland aren't having the same conversations (it just wasn't part of the story that created the juxtaposition that spurred this post). But, shouldn't this be the discussion we all should be having?
After the pause...what do we want visitation from the outside to look like in our communities? The decision is wholly in our hands....and the clock is ticking.
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