“We have a campsite with lots of space, and we have rented hotels and accommodation in the area; Ólafsvík, Rifi and Hellissandi,” says Jón Bjarni Steinsson, caterer and event manager.
It has been a long time since he started preparing for the arrival of a large number of tourists to the country. He founded a company with his wife Katrína Ólafsson, who manages this event, but many musicians will perform on this occasion.
“This is the most expensive and complex cultural event in Iceland’s history. The turnover is around 650 million,” says Jón Bjarni.
Icelanders realize that something big is happening
Jón Bjarni has now called for a residents’ meeting in Hellissandi on Thursday, where he intends to discuss the project with the local authorities and greed, which he says has now started to take root in the community.
DV has news which they had from the social media site Reddit, which tells of a foreign tourist who had booked accommodation in connection with the total eclipse but is now sitting up with a sore forehead; he says that he was terminated from the accommodation with short notice and then saw the same accommodation advertised at multiple prices. Jón Bjarni says that this will be discussed along with other things.
He says he has everything clear, but he wants to tie up all the loose ends.
Is the blackout situation intensifying in Iceland due to the solar eclipse?
“It’s been quite a while since the situation intensified, but we started planning our event very early. We’re more than a year old now. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen it intensify. Icelanders – who are born late – are realizing that something big is happening next summer.”
Have you heard of similar stories as DV has from Reddit? That people have canceled accommodation that they had already sold just to advertise accommodation again, at multiple prices. Have you heard of such examples?
“We have long ago secured accommodation for ourselves and our people. But we have just received ‘offers’ from people who are selling accommodation and offering it to us at inflated prices.” We suspect that these are people who are canceling and then want to sell to our guests.”
Have seen pretty high numbers for accommodation
When Jón Bjarni is asked about the worst examples he has heard of this kind, he asks in return if it is not imprudent to bring such rumors to the media?
“We’ve seen pretty high numbers of people renting out houses and/or apartments. We’ve rented out a fair amount of houses and apartments to our VIPs, but we’re not just AirBNB, we take houses, clean them, turn them into ‘hotels’ and arrange transportation.”
Jón Bjarni says they have been planning this event for a very long time and they know what they are doing.
“But there’s a bit of a wild west thing going on right now.”
Americans and women
You talk about lazy (and greedy) Icelanders. Are those who are the first to wake up now and can get out of bed for guests the old fashioned way not with the palm in their hands? Can set up a price that is completely unethical?
“I think that people are only overestimating demand and are therefore selling accommodation and other things far beyond what is normal.”
Jón Bjarni says that these are mainly Americans and women who are coming to Iceland on his behalf in August. Why are women more interested in the total eclipse than men?
“It’s a very family-oriented festival, and it’s usually women who book,” says Jón Bjarni, adding that this week it will be announced what prices are available for those with Icelandic social security numbers. But it is certain that the tension is increasing.
