Iceland Travel

What Iceland Travel does

Iceland Travel ehf., headquartered in Reykjavík at Suðurlandsbraut 34, is Iceland's oldest and largest tour operator, founded in 1936 and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Travel Connect holding company. The firm functions as an exclusive B2B Destination Management Company (DMC), selling its travel services only through travel agents and tour operators worldwide via a dedicated Agent Web Login portal since September 2022, with no direct-to-consumer booking channel. Its service portfolio spans six segments: FIT Leisure (self-drive, escorted, and tailor-made tours), Groups Leisure, Academic Groups, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, events), Cruise (shore excursions, turnaround operations, and pre/post-tours across all 18+ major Icelandic ports), and Luxury travel delivered through the Nine Worlds sub-brand.

The underlying technology stack centers on a destination-management and itinerary-planning platform that supports B2B agent workflows, complemented by the proprietary Iceland Travel Companion App for self-drive customers, which delivers in-pocket navigation and recommendations. Iceland Travel differentiates on multilingual coverage (15 languages spoken in-house), local supplier relationships built over decades, and sustainability credentials including being the first DMC in Iceland to achieve Travelife Certified status, holding Vakinn certification from the Icelandic Tourism Board, and operating an Equal Pay-certified system under IST 85.

Revenue is generated on a quote-based, pay-as-you-go model through agent channels, with packages ranging from short breaks (4 days/3 nights) to extended 19-day tours across multiple languages. Customers span international tour operators serving FIT leisure, corporate MICE clients (Allianz, Volkswagen Finance S.A., Reckitt Benckiser, Citroen, Innovation Center Iceland, Racing The Planet), academic institutions, and cruise lines, with named international association memberships (USTOA, JATA, ETOA, SYTA, Signature, Travel Leader) underpinning distribution.

Name

Iceland Travel

Legal name

Iceland Travel ehf.

Website

https://icelandtravel.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Iceland Travel is Iceland's oldest B2B Destination Management Company, founded 1936, offering guided tours, self-drive packages, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel through its Nine Worlds sub-brand to travel agents and tour operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (561510), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Luxury Travel Agencies (THAKAFAA), Online/Hybrid Corporate Travel Agencies (Self-Booking + Support) (THAKACAB), Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Destination management services
• Guided tour packages
• Self-drive tours
• Cruise shore excursions
• MICE travel services

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Package Tours and Travel Services: Revenue generated from comprehensive travel packages including FIT leisure (self-drive tours, escorted tours, tailor-made tours), group leisure travel, academic group travel, MICE services, cruise services, and luxury travel through the Nine Worlds brand. Packages are sold exclusively through B2B partner channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Iceland Travel is a B2B Destination Management Company that designs and delivers comprehensive Iceland travel packages exclusively through travel agents and tour operators worldwide. Its portfolio spans FIT Leisure, Groups Leisure, Academic Groups, MICE, Cruise Services, and Luxury Travel (via the Nine Worlds sub-brand), with self-drive, escorted, and tailor-made formats supported by certified local guides and an exclusive Companion App for self-drive customers.

Product overview

Iceland Travel is a B2B Destination Management Company (DMC) offering a comprehensive portfolio of travel services across multiple segments: FIT Leisure (self-drive tours, escorted tours, tailor-made tours), Groups Leisure (special and theme group tours), Academic Groups (educational travel for schools and universities), MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, events), Cruise Services (shore excursions, turnaround operations), and Luxury Travel through their Nine Worlds sub-brand. The company provides an Iceland Travel Companion App for self-drive customers. The product portfolio covers the full travel lifecycle from individual travelers to large group bookings, with services available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nine Worlds: Luxury brand offering tailor-made premium travel experiences for discerning clients.

Products and services

• FIT Leisure

Quantifiable outcome

• Staff on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through emergency phone system

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Icelandic Travel Industry Association (SAF)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDomestic industry association membership providing networking, industry representation, and credibility within the Icelandic tourism sector.
• United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational association membership enabling access to US tour operator market and industry best practices.
• Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational association membership enabling market access in Japanese travel industry.
• ETOA (European Tourism Association)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean tourism association membership for industry networking and market development.
• SYTA (School & Youth Travel Association)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation focused on youth and educational travel for academic group segment.
• FTA (Florida Tourism Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUS regional tourism association membership.
• Signature (Travel Network)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel network enabling distribution through member agencies.
• Travel LeadermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel network for tour operator partnerships and distribution.
• Nine Worlds (Luxury Brand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized luxury travel brand operated by Iceland Travel, offering premium tailor-made experiences for discerning clients.
• Icelandic Tourism ClustermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative organization leading the Responsible Tourism initiative to position Iceland as a global leader in sustainable tourism by 2030.
• Kolviður (Icelandic Carbon Fund)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon offset program through which all Iceland Travel's escorted and self-drive tours are carbon offset via tree planting initiatives.
• Cruise Iceland (Port Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort network covering all major Icelandic cruise ports including Akranes, Akureyri, Reykjavík, Ísafjörður, and 14 additional ports for cruise service coordination.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Europe's largest integrated tourism group with packaged holidays, tours, and cruise operations including Iceland product. Overlaps with Iceland Travel on MICE-adjacent leisure and escorted touring but operates a much broader portfolio.
• Exodus Travels: UK-based adventure and cultural tour operator offering Iceland walking and discovery trips. Comparable to Iceland Travel's soft-adventure and theme-tour segments but operates globally and serves overlapping but not identical customers.
• Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with a dedicated Iceland program. Overlaps with Iceland Travel's escorted group tours and adventure offerings but operates across 100+ countries, providing broader portfolio but less Iceland specialization.
• G Adventures: Global small-group tour operator with active Iceland itineraries (Northern Lights, Ring Road). Comparable to Iceland Travel's escorted group tours but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Hidden Iceland: Boutique Iceland DMC offering small-group and tailor-made itineraries with local-expert guides. Closely comparable to Iceland Travel's tailor-made and luxury (Nine Worlds) segments, with similar emphasis on curated, locally-led experiences.
• Guide to Iceland: Iceland-focused online travel platform and DMC offering self-drive, guided tours, and accommodation packages. Comparable product breadth to Iceland Travel's FIT Leisure line and competes for the same B2B travel-agent and direct-traveler demand.
• Nordic Visitor: Iceland- and Nordics-focused travel agency offering self-drive packages, escorted tours, and tailor-made itineraries. Closely comparable to Iceland Travel's FIT Leisure and tailor-made product, with overlapping supplier base and similar B2C/B2B distribution.
• Reykjavik Excursions: Long-established Iceland DMC operating guided tours, airport transfers, and shore excursions from Reykjavík. Directly overlaps with Iceland Travel on cruise port services, escorted day tours, and group transfers in the same destination.
• Iceland Tours: Iceland-based tour operator providing escorted multi-day coach tours and self-drive packages. Directly comparable to Iceland Travel's escorted and self-drive product lines within the same destination.
• Arctic Adventures: Iceland-based tour operator specializing in adventure and small-group experiences (glacier hikes, ice caves, snowmobiling). Comparable to Iceland Travel's soft-adventure and theme-tour segments, with overlap on group leisure and FIT self-drive supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IcelandTravelTO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IcelandTravelVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/IcelandTravelTourOperator
• Instagraminstagram.com/icelandtravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iceland-travel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iceland Travel