Popular European tourist attraction forced to close due to volcano eruption fears
A POPULAR tourist attraction in Iceland has been forced to close amid safety fears.
The Blue Lagoon Resort in Reykjavík has been forced to shut its doors after 1,400 earthquakes hit the area in the space of 24 hours.
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa and bathing spot on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula that welcomes more than 700,000 visitors each year.
However, the spa is currently closed to guests because of the increase in seismic activity in the region, which has prompted fears of a volcanic eruption.
While an eruption isn’t guaranteed, earthquakes have been known to foreshadow volcanic eruptions in Iceland, according to the Weather Network.
A statement on the Blue Lagoon website read: “The Blue Lagoon has proactively chosen to temporarily suspend operations for one week, despite the authorities not raising the current level of uncertainty during this period of seismic activity.
“This affects all of our operations at Blue Lagoon, Silica Hotel, Retreat Spa, Retreat Hotel, Lava, and Moss Restaurant.”
The top tourist attraction first announced its closure on Thursday (November 9) after the resort was hit by a powerful earthquake as well as hundreds of other, smaller, quakes.
According to the local newspaper Víkurfrétir, dozens of holidaymakers fled the Blue Lagoon resort after the earthquake hit.
The Blue Lagoon is set to reopen on November 16 at 7:00am, with a full refund issued to anyone who held a booking during this period.
The statement continued: ” We aim to mitigate any disruption to our guests’ experiences and alleviate the sustained pressure on our employees.”
This isn’t the first time Iceland has been forced to close its tourist attractions because of volcanic activity.
In 2010, the country’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted, spewing huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere.
More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of international travellers.
Air travel was halted for days because of concerns that the ash could damage jet engines.
The ash clouds led to widespread airport closures across Europe.
Earlier this year, the Fagradalsfjall volcano also erupted – although Keflavik Airport remained open during this period.
While the Blue Lagoon resort is set to reopen next week, there are other changes underfoot in Iceland that could impact tourists.
The European hotspot could soon start charging holidaymakers who stay overnight in the country.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, said: “Tourism has really grown exponentially in Iceland in the last decade and that obviously is not just creating effects on the climate.
“Most of our guests who are coming to us are visiting the unspoilt nature, and obviously it creates a pressure.”
If implemented, the tax will be used to tackle the impact of tourism on the country’s climate.
The scheme may look something like a city tax where overnight guests are charged for their stay – but details are yet to be announced.
But Iceland isn’t the only holiday hotspot that could be introducing a tourist tax on future visitors.
From next year, Venice will trial a fee, which will see day-trippers paying €5 (£4.35) to visit the historical Italian centre.