Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Home Newsletters Next Share

6 things locals wish tourists would stop doing in Iceland

Talia LakritzJan 16, 2024, 09:46 IST

The jokes about Iceland being green and Greenland being ice get old.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Icelandic locals can't stand when tourists litter or step on fragile moss.
They're also sick of hearing jokes about Iceland and Greenland.

With over 1.7 million visitors in 2022, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board, Iceland's otherworldly landscapes and natural phenomena continue to draw crowds of tourists to its shores.

Inevitably, tourists make mistakes or encounter culture clashes during their stays.

Here are six things locals wish tourists would stop doing when they visit Iceland.

Locals have heard all of the jokes about Iceland and Greenland before, and they're not amused.

Iceland is greener than the name implies.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

They also roll their eyes when tourists ask where to see the northern lights during the summer months, when they're not visible.

Iceland's midnight sun at the Bubble Hotel.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Tipping isn't always appreciated by service workers in Iceland.

A cafe in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Icelanders can't stand littering.

A garbage can in Reykjavík, Iceland.Finn Huwald/picture alliance via Getty Images

Locals wish tourists would be more careful about preserving Iceland's fragile moss.

Moss at the Secret Lagoon.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Ignoring warning signs or advice from local authorities could require a costly rescue, or worse.

An erupting volcano spews lava and smoke north of Grindavik, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, on December 19.Icelandic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

9 real-estate predictions for 2024, according to young industry leaders