Felicity Long
For those of you who think it's a waste of time to market through social media, Iceland would beg to differ.
"Our social media campaigns have seen a huge return," said Sigriour Dogg Gudmundsdottir, public relations and media relations manager of Visit Iceland & Creative Industries.
Just look at the numbers. In 2014, Iceland welcomed 152,000 arrivals from the U.S.; 242,000 in 2015, and already so far in 2016, 325,000. To put this in perspective, the country has had more U.S. visitors this year than the number of people who actually live there.
And while the emergence of Wow Air, the low-cost Icelandic carrier, is clearly a factor in the boost in tourism, Gudmundsdottir credits some of the innovative tourism campaigns for engaging millennials and other travelers who use social media.
In 2015, for example, the country launched a quirky Ask Gudmundur campaign in which seven Icelanders from different regions, all named Gudmundur, served as human search engines and answered questions online about their country.
"People could ask their questions via Facebook and Twitter [at #AskGudmundur] and get live answers," Gudmundsdottir said.
"This year we followed up with Iceland Academy, which focuses on sustainable tourism," she said, citing new online tutorials about such winter pursuits as capturing the northern lights on camera and eating like a local as well as what to pack for a winter vacation.
Foodies can take advantage of an Icelandic cooking class on Facebook, Gudmundsdottir said, noting that, while not part of an official campaign, scenes from the trailer for the upcoming "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" were shot on Iceland's black-sand beaches.
Some savvy marketing gurus are also moving beyond the more traditional platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Last year, Wow used the popular dating platform Tinder to run a Flirt and Fly contest that awarded creative chat-up lines with free flights, for example. The carrier also used Snapchat to select four winners to fly on Wow and record their experiences.
Iceland Air has gotten into the act with its online Stopover Buddy campaign that ran this spring. It offered the free services of a local guide chosen to fit with passengers' interests, ranging from nature to food to help them make the most of their stopover in Iceland.
This season the carrier is expanding on that theme by offering a new Celebration Stopover Buddy Service that enlists the services of airline staff to grant passenger wishes.
For example, visitors who want to celebrate their birthday at a volcano, propose to their significant other under the northern lights or go "beyond the wall" with a "Game of Thrones" expert can do so with the help of the program.
The services of the guide are complimentary, but any costs associated with the activity are, of course, the responsibility of the passenger.
Details about the program are available on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Meanwhile, the Hotel Ranga in Hella, located in southern Iceland, is getting in the act with a social media campaign aimed squarely at luring visitors over the winter holidays.
The #IcelandChristmas campaign, accessible via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, will run throughout December and will offer insider information on the customs and traditions of an Icelandic Christmas.
Topics will include tips on local events, concerts, Christmas markets, traditional Icelandic delicacies and holiday recipes.