It has had its fair share of international criticism. But the island once famed for financial ruin is fighting back with love: Iceland is, officially, the most welcoming nation on earth.
Still reeling from its economic collapse five years ago, Iceland has been voted the most welcoming to foreigners of 140 countries polled by the World Economic Forum. The public attitudes survey found Icelandic society most open and welcoming to foreigners, followed by New Zealand and Morocco. Britain, it should be said, came 55th.
So what makes Icelanders so cheerful? “It has to do with our history,” says Gudrun Magnusdottir, a student at Haskoli Islands University in Reykjavik. “In the old days farmers were required to greet guests with the best they had. This has since been etched in our culture, and today, the goal is to get tourists to come back again.”
After the country’s economic collapse in 2008, Iceland’s outlook has improved. Indeed, while the eurozone is expected to shrink by 0.3 per cent this year, Iceland’s economy will grow by 2.7 per cent. Unemployment too has fallen to 4.5%, half the amount it was at its peak, and the budget deficit that reached 13.5% of GDP in 2009 fell to 2.3% last year. Meanwhile, as Europe feels the pain, Iceland’s loans have been paid back ahead of schedule. Full story...
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Still reeling from its economic collapse five years ago, Iceland has been voted the most welcoming to foreigners of 140 countries polled by the World Economic Forum. The public attitudes survey found Icelandic society most open and welcoming to foreigners, followed by New Zealand and Morocco. Britain, it should be said, came 55th.
So what makes Icelanders so cheerful? “It has to do with our history,” says Gudrun Magnusdottir, a student at Haskoli Islands University in Reykjavik. “In the old days farmers were required to greet guests with the best they had. This has since been etched in our culture, and today, the goal is to get tourists to come back again.”
After the country’s economic collapse in 2008, Iceland’s outlook has improved. Indeed, while the eurozone is expected to shrink by 0.3 per cent this year, Iceland’s economy will grow by 2.7 per cent. Unemployment too has fallen to 4.5%, half the amount it was at its peak, and the budget deficit that reached 13.5% of GDP in 2009 fell to 2.3% last year. Meanwhile, as Europe feels the pain, Iceland’s loans have been paid back ahead of schedule. Full story...
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