Half of Tourists Influenced by Iceland on Screen, Study Finds

2026-03-01 - 22:15

Around half of overseas visitors to Iceland say television programmes, films and other screen content played a role in their decision to travel there, according to the country’s tourism authorities. As reported by Iceland Review earlier, interest in the waterfall Háafoss soared after it appeared in the final episode of the Netflix series Stranger Things. More than 100 million people watched the episode, and online searches for the site rose by 5,000% once it aired. What's This Story? Around half of foreign tourists say screen content influences their decision to visit Iceland Háafoss featured in the final episode of Stranger Things at the beginning of the year More than 100 million people watched the episode on Netflix Online searches for Háafoss increased by 5,000% after broadcast Findings based on border surveys by the Icelandic Tourist Board Kirkjufell in West Iceland. Photo: Golli. Iceland Review. The Icelandic Tourist Board conducts regular border surveys, asking travellers what influenced their trip. According to the latest study, international films and documentaries, TV shows as well as music videos featuring Icelandic landscapes, has some influence on their decision to come. Previous productions have had similar effects. The film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty boosted visits to Kirkjufell, while fans continue to seek out locations used in Game of Thrones.