The Council of Museums, \u00cdslandstofan, and the Association of Icelandic Municipalities organized a symposium on museums and tourism on Friday, November 18, which was also supported by the National Museum of Iceland. \u00de\u00f3ra Bj\u00f6rk \u00d3lafsd\u00f3ttir, Executive Director of the Museum Council, opened the conference, and Minister of Education and Culture Illugi Gunnarsson delivered an opening address. Among the speakers were Inga Hl\u00edn P\u00e1lssd\u00f3ttir, Director of Tourism and Creative Industries at \u00cdslandsstofa, Halld\u00f3r Halld\u00f3rsson, chairman of the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, along with representatives from the Icelandic government, academia and the museum sector, the regional tourism boards, and the Association for Historical Tourism Services.<\/p>\n
Presentations by the speakers revealed that the scope of the museum sector in Iceland had increased significantly in recent years, and many attendees expressed the view that in their work they had perceived a tremendous interest among foreign tourists in Icelandic cultural heritage. Museums across the country played a key role, as surveys of foreign tourists had revealed a great interest in Icelandic culture and history, and that a visit to a museum was part of many tourists' trip to Iceland. This underscored the importance of strengthening the collaboration between museums and the tourism industry, and the attendees expressed their satisfaction with the symposium as a platform for such cooperation. However, a lack of funding and understaffing were problems that many museums faced, but the increased interest from foreign tourists in visiting museums offered new revenue opportunities and new opportunities for growth.<\/p>\n