Facilities and infrastructure
In the past few years, Iceland has experienced an incredible growth in tourism. This development has largely been driven by word-of-mouth marketing, since an overwhelming majority of visitors are happy with their visit and pass stories and pictures on to their friends and families (the Eyjafjallajökull eruption also didn’t hurt). The growth in tourism is also mostly experienced in positive terms by the locals since it has helped the economy through difficult times and continues to diversify the job sector through all sorts of interesting small enterprises.
However, the boom in tourism has exposed some serious flaws in the country’s infrastructure and decision-making processes. In short, the government and municipalities have been slow to react to the increased number of visitors and this is most noticeable in the lack of certain basic amenities such as bathroom facilities around the country, and this is especially troublesome around the more popular locations. This state of affairs then directs passers-by towards various guesthouses, shops and restaurants for services such as bathrooms, running water and Wi-Fi, much to the dismay of operators who find themselves providing a free public service at their own cost.
We at Iceland Mini Campers are aware of these issues and therefore we want to offer a simple solution to our customers.
We believe that the mini camper traveller does not have to compromise when it comes to sleeping comfortably, eating proper meals (our campers are fully furnished for those purposes) and most importantly, having access to bathrooms as well as bathing- and washing facilities. For these, there is an abundance of campsites around the country, which provide a host of services such as showers, laundry facilities and WI-FI (these amenities differ between campsites) at affordable prices (see complete list here: http://tjalda.is/en/). Our travel suggestions blog usually includes recommendations for campsites and we are working on adding a map of all the campsites in Iceland on our website.
As for the geothermal swimming pools, they are simply put one of the most wonderful aspects of life in Iceland, and usually include showers, a pool and some hot pots with an entrance fee of 4-6 Euros (see here: http://www.swimminginiceland.com/). These swimming pools are strewn all across the country (the Westfjords alone have 17) and help to make Iceland ideal for motor home journeys.
To conclude, our project involves offering the most cost-efficient way to explore Iceland: a mode of travel that affords visitors more freedom and a more intimate experience than the traditional combinations of hotels, guesthouses and guided tours. Moreover, our travel suggestions blog helps our clients put together their own travel itinerary, with an emphasis on our favorite locations and the wealth of destinations Iceland has to offer that are still mostly unaffected by mass tourism. In light of the frustrations surrounding infrastructure and facilities along Iceland’s highways, we want to recommend to our customers that they make use of Iceland’s many campsites and swimming pools and show both patience and consideration when it comes to various other service providers along the way.
Above all, drive safely and have fun!
ICM
