You know how they say there's no such thing as bad publicity? It seems that Iceland is finding that out with regard to the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic ash cloud that has wreaked havoc on transatlantic air travel in recent weeks.
Airports in the U.K., Ireland and on the Continent were shut down, in some cases for days on end; some, in fact, are still experiencing sporadic closures. But much of Iceland has been relatively unaffected by the cloud, as most flights continued to come in and out of Reykjavic.
What did make an impact was the 24/7 media coverage the island nation received, as it apparently spurred tourism of an unusual kind.
"As a result of the worldwide attention, volcano tourism has become, if you'll excuse the expression, 'explosively' popular," said Einar Gustavsson, director of the Iceland Tourist Board in New York.
Tour operators have scrambled to create tours that include visits to or at least near the volcano, bundling other high-adrenaline activities for the adventurous.
They include a South-Shore, Waterfalls and Glacier Tour by Iceland on Track, which brings visitors close enough to the eruption that they might hear the explosions and see clouds of ash, although there are no guarantees.
Visits to glaciers, waterfalls and cliffs are also on the itinerary. The one-day tour, which can be added to other Iceland on Track programs, is priced at about $262.
Nordic Tours, Iceland Excursions, Iceland Total and Reykjavik Excursions are among other companies that use helicopters, Jeeps and even snowmobiles to bring visitors near the volcano. Some also toss ice-climbing lessons and nature hikes into the excursions.
Visitors looking for a more traditional visit to Iceland can be reassured that life has more or less returned to normal in terms of the country's tourism infrastructure, Gustavsson said.
"Thankfully, the damage [in Iceland] from the volcano was minimal, and the Icelandic travel community was able to work together to ensure that every traveler's experience went as smoothly as possible," he said.
In fact, Iceland is "dusting off the welcome mat," according to tourism officials, reopening roads in affected areas to tour buses, maintaining normal flight schedules at all four international airports and easing tour operator cancellation policies for affected passengers.
Electricity, communications and water supplies have also been mostly unaffected, they said, noting that the lava is flowing mostly north to uninhabited parts of the country.
For updates on volcanic activity, go to www.visiticeland.com; for tourism information, go to www.icelandtouristboard.com. For details on volcano tours, visit www.icelandontrack.com, www.iceland.nordicvisitor.com, www.grayline.is, www.icelandtotal.com or www.re.is.