Whenever Iceland is in need of a dramatic reinvention this profoundly volcanic island is able to reach down into the bowels of the earth and conjure up something truly astonishing.
Two months before Iceland made it onto our travel green list a new volcano, Fagraldsfjall, announced itself by way of a spectacular eruption in a desolate valley on the seismic Reykjanes Peninsula.
An Explosive Relaunch
Although I'm compelled to venture forward, the sight before me lends a nagging sensation: I'm heading through the gates of hell, a feeling scarcely allayed crossing a final bleak ridge to witness the most visceral force I have ever encountered. Amid a newly formed lava plateau of burning basalt, the coal-black fledgling cone is angry, erupting orange magma so intense its like staring at the sun. At first it gushes quickly through a breach in the crater, accompanied by a grinding roar. A lava cascade explodes upwards over 400 metres, driven by unimaginable force, before settling down again a minute or so later. The issuing molten lava scythes its way across the surrounding plateau. The whole cycle is deeply mesmerising.
With every pulsating eruption I'm warmed by the searing heat and left feeling I am witnessing before me the very essence of our planet's formation.
By constructing a nearby carpark and creating a trekking path to Fagraldsfjall -rendering this the most accessible erupting volcano on Earth - Icelandic tourism hasn't hesitated in promoting it as a flagship attraction throughout this summer. Its a spectacular statement of reopening that will likely override cautions travellers have about holidaying.
Unlike the relative fiasco playing out with regards to travel by the UK Government, the Icelandic roadmap to reopening is mature and considered. Explaining to clients the paperwork and testing around Covid-19 can seem rather daunting, yet Iceland is refreshingly clear and efficient.
The country currently accepts only fully-vaccinated travellers, or those with documentary proof they have had the virus. At the border, I present my NHS-app as proof of vaccination and take a free PCR-test on arrival. I am told to wait in my accommodation for the result. It comes back negative in just four hours.
Restrictions have since been relaxed so that those presenting a valid vaccination certification or prior Covid-19 infection (and therefore immune) no longer have to undergo a test at the border.
This careful reopening is yielding early results. "In May there were 14,400 foreign arrivals which is 14 times more than in May 2020," says Oddny Arnarsdottir, Project Manager with Visit Iceland. "Many are coming to see the volcano".
It's worth emphasising Iceland's outdoors space is the perfect antidote to Coronavirus fears. With the likes of glacial landscapes, great waterfalls, the bird-rich Lake Myvatn, and the geothermal Reykjanes Peninsula -where bathing in the silica-rich Blue Lagoon remains a wellness classic - visitors will spend much of their time outdoors.
Encourage clients to consider road trips between 10 to 14 days, so that they get the best out of Iceland's stellar scenery.
"We are certainly seeing a demand for our fly-drive programme in Iceland and summer and autumn is an amazing time to discover the whole of the country, with beautiful colours, warmer weather and longer hours of daylight for exploring and being outside," says Andrea Godfrey, Product Manager at Regent Holidays.
She says Iceland currently accounts for over a quarter of their business - and Regent programmes multiple destinations.
"Icelandic tourism hasn't hesitated in promoting its new erupting volcano, Fagraldsfiall, as a flagship attraction this summer"