UK visitor numbers to Iceland have again started to increase after a record start to 2010. Numbers from the UK in October were up by 7.5 per cent on last year, with more than 6,500 people visiting the country during the month.

According to figures released by Visit Iceland, 52,345 UK visitors travelled to Iceland between January and October this year. In October alone, there were 6,545 UK visitors, as opposed to 6,088 for the same month in 2009 – an increase of 7.5 per cent.

Official airport numbers demonstrate that 34,069 foreign visitors travelled to Iceland in October 2010, which is a 12.2 per cent year-on-year increase (30,371 for the same month in 2009).

Sigga Gróa Þórarinsdóttir, Area Manager UK and Ireland from Visit Iceland, said:

“2010 has been a strange year for tourism in Iceland, but it appears that the volcanic eruption from Eyjafjallajokull glacier in April and May 2010 and the resulting ash cloud helped raise awareness of Iceland’s close proximity to the UK and its potential as a holiday destination. The eruption also demonstrated how much Iceland has to offer to visitors in terms of its fascinating landscape.

“2010 visitor figures show a more than confident recovery from the slightly lower visitor figures in 2009 and we hope that they will continue to grow.”