Iceland Review Online

What Iceland Review Online does

Iceland Review Online is an English-language online publication covering Iceland's news, culture, politics, business, and travel. Founded in 1963 and historically a print magazine, it now operates exclusively as a digital outlet serving an international audience interested in Iceland, particularly tourists, expatriates, and English-speaking researchers. Its core products are the main news site, the Ask Iceland Review Q&A section, the In Focus long-form series, and a Travel section with guides, supported by an archive of six decades of content available via digital subscription. The technical platform is a standard content publishing website with social media presence and a YouTube channel (@icelandreview1963); Sales Cloud is used for billing and subscription management.

The company monetizes through three primary revenue lines. First, digital display advertising with consumer-facing brands such as Wolt and Hertz. Second, sponsored content partnerships with tourism operators, including Rent.is for car rental coverage and Bikepacking Iceland for adventure travel editorial. Third, digital subscriptions granting access to the historical magazine archive. The editorial team is small (1-10 employees), including contributors such as Irina Shtreis and Michael Chapman, and the operation is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Iceland Review Online

Legal name

Iceland Review

Website

https://icelandreview.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iceland Review Online is an English-language digital publication founded in 1963 covering Iceland's news, culture, politics, business, and travel for an international audience. It operates exclusively online, monetizing through display advertising (Wolt, Hertz), sponsored content partnerships with tourism operators, and archive subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online News & Travel Media

akta.pro primary industry

Review-Led Travel Discovery & Booking Platforms (THAKAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fee-Based/Independent Trip Planners (No Booking) (THAKAOAA)

Keywords

• Online news publishing
• English-language journalism
• Travel content media
• Magazine archives
• Digital media publication

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscription: Subscription-based access to Iceland Review magazine archives and exclusive content. Users must register and complete subscription order forms with billing through Sales Cloud.
2. Digital Advertising: Display advertising on the website, including banner ads from partners such as Wolt, Hertz, and other advertisers.
3. Sponsored Content Partnerships: Partnership content with tourism operators and travel companies. Includes feature articles and travel guides developed in collaboration with partners like Rent.is and Bikepacking Iceland.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Iceland Review Online is an English-language online publication covering Iceland's news, culture, travel, politics, and business. It publishes daily news, long-form features, interviews, opinion columns, photography, and practical travel guides for an international audience. The company also operates a subscription-based archive of magazine content from its print-era origins and earns revenue through digital advertising and sponsored content partnerships with tourism operators.

Product overview

Iceland Review Online is a single unified online publication (formerly a print magazine established in 1963) that now publishes exclusively digital content covering Iceland's news, culture, travel, politics, and business. The product portfolio consists of the core publication offering daily news and features, supplemented by the Ask Iceland Review Q&A section, the In Focus long-form series, and a Travel section with practical guides and destination information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iceland Review Online Publication The core English-language online publication covering Iceland's news, culture, travel, politics, and business, featuring daily news, long-form features, interviews, opinion columns, photography, and practical travel guides for an international audience.
• Ask Iceland Review

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WoltminorOthersWolt is an advertiser on Iceland Review's website, displaying banner advertisements to the publication's audience.
• HertzminorOthersHertz is an advertising partner with Iceland Review, with banner advertisements displayed on the website. The partnership includes promotional links and banners.
• Troll.isminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTroll.is operates the Book Tours link on Iceland Review's website, directing readers to tour booking services.
• Rent.iscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRent.is is a sponsored content partner with Iceland Review. The publication produces travel content in partnership with Rent.is, including articles like 'Spend 3 Days Exploring Iceland's Stunning South Coast by Camper Van' featuring their camper van rental services.
• Bikepacking IcelandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBikepacking Iceland is a sponsored content partner with Iceland Review. The publication produces feature articles about cycling and adventure travel in partnership with Bikepacking Iceland, including detailed travel guides and tours.
• Sales CloudminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSales Cloud provides billing infrastructure for Iceland Review's subscription orders. All billing information is processed through Sales Cloud's platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lonely Planet: Long-running travel content and review-led discovery brand covering destinations worldwide with editorial guides and destination information. Comparable business model of monetizing editorial travel content through advertising, partnerships, and content licensing.
• The Culture Trip: Digital travel and culture publication producing editorial destination content at scale. Comparable content-led travel media business with similar reliance on display advertising and brand partnerships.
• AFAR Media: Travel media brand producing long-form destination features, reviews, and practical guides. Comparable as a content-first travel publication with similar advertiser and sponsored-content revenue model.
• Rick Steves' Europe: Travel content brand built around editorial guides, destination information, and travel advice for a specific region. Comparable as a founder-led destination content brand monetizing via content, partnerships, and related services.
• Wanderlust Magazine: Long-running English-language travel magazine and digital publication covering destinations, culture, and practical travel information. Comparable niche travel editorial brand with similar print-to-digital evolution.
• Fodor's Travel: Established travel editorial brand producing destination reviews, travel guides, and feature articles. Comparable as a content-led travel publication monetizing through advertising and partnerships.
• Iceland Magazine: Online English-language publication covering Iceland news, culture and travel for an international audience. Closest direct peer — competes head-to-head for the same English-speaking Iceland audience and advertiser base.

Broad incumbents

• Tripadvisor: Dominant review-led travel discovery and booking platform operating globally. Comparable as a review-led travel platform but vastly larger, broader in geography, and transactional in ways Iceland Review is not.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Major global travel magazine and digital publication producing destination features and travel journalism. Comparable as a travel editorial brand but operates at significantly larger scale and across all destinations.

Others

• Visit Iceland (Inspired by Iceland): Official Icelandic tourism board destination website publishing travel guides and practical information about Iceland. Comparable destination content site but operates as a government DMO rather than an independent editorial publication.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@icelandreview1963
• Facebookfacebook.com/icelandreviewonline
• Instagraminstagram.com/icelandreview
• Xx.com/iceland_review
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iceland-review

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Review Online