Reykjavik, Iceland (CNN) — After a four-year hiatus, Iceland’s last remaining whaling company, Hvalur hf., will resume its hunt this summer, much to the chagrin of tourism officials.
As the Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on Iceland’s tourism industry, backlash over whaling is the last thing many tourism officials want.
“It is often reported in larger publications with heated coverage,” continued Jóhannes. “In the tourism industry, both in private companies and in public polls; in letters, phone calls, and in other communications, whaling has a very precise effect, and tourism companies feel it the moment whaling enters the discussion again.”
“It’s saddening and frustrating to hear that this company, Hvalur, intends to resume killing these animals in Iceland. It is very damaging to our country’s reputation. This, in turn, has repercussions for our export and tourism industries.”
Dependence on tourism
Whale watching is a popular tourist activity in Iceland.
Matthew Williams-Ellis/VWPCS/AP
While Covid-19 wreaked havoc on nations across the globe, many countries aren’t as dependent on tourism as Iceland. Leading up to the pandemic, tourism was the country’s largest export.
According to data from the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, the sector’s growth peaked in 2017 when tourism exports accounted for 42% of the country’s total exports.
In the wake of the pandemic, GDP growth took a hit last year. Activities related to travel bookings, air transport, accommodation and restaurants decreased by 50-75% from 2019. This led to a contraction in the tourism sector by 3.9% of GDP in 2020.
Hvalur last sent its vessels to hunt in the…
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