The Reykjavik story: Building sustainable destination management from scratch

Inga Hlín Pálsdóttir
Place Branding Strategist | Tourism Leader | Consultant
 

Inga Hlín Pálsdóttir is one of the most influential voices in sustainable destination development and place branding in the Nordics. With nearly two decades of experience shaping Iceland’s global image, she is best known for her leadership of Visit Iceland and the multi-award-winning campaign Inspired by Iceland. Inga has guided Iceland’s transformation into a year-round destination and led its rise to become the country’s largest industry—through both boom and crisis.
 

She is currently the Managing Director of Visit Reykjavík / Reykjavik & Partners, where she is spearheading the creation of a new destination management organization from scratch, built on principles of sustainability, stakeholder collaboration, and long-term value.
 

Inga is a sought-after speaker and advisor on tourism, branding, and crisis communication. She has shared her insights at global forums such as City Nation Place, ITB Berlin, and the World Tourism Forum. Her accolades include the Stevie Gold Award for Female Innovator of the Year and a spot on Skift’s Top 50 Travel Marketers.

Whether rebuilding a brand post-volcano or helping destinations navigate complexity, Inga is driven by a clear mission: to create meaningful, resilient, and responsible places that thrive—economically, socially, and ecologically.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS - Inga Hlín Pálsdóttir about PLACExNordic
 

What are you looking most forward to at PLACEx?

"I am really looking forward to being back at PLACEx in person after all these years –

reconnecting with peers and soaking up inspiration and fresh insights over the two whole

days. I am especially interested in the sessions around place development and place

management, as that's exactly where our focus lies at Visit Reykjavik these days."

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What is the key topic of your talk?

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"Visit Reykjavik was established just two years ago as a Destination Management and

Marketing Organization (DMMO) by six municipalities and the local tourism industry. Since

then, we’ve been building and developing things from scratch—everything from destination

management to getting stakeholders involved. In my talk, I will take you through that story

and share some thoughts on destination management and what I think DMMOs are all about

today."

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What are you most eager to discuss with the audience related to your talk?

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"All of it but perhaps I am most eager to give an honest view on how it is to build a DMMO

from the scratch – challenges, lessons and all - as today I think it is very seldom that a

brand new DMMO is established as most destinations have this already set up in some way."

From your job/organisation’s point of view, what do you see as the most

interesting industry developments or trends here 2025 when we talk about place

attractiveness?

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"There are so many, but I think what is top of mind right now is:

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- Matters of sustainability are ongoing – and more recently, regenerative tourism and

the role of DMMO in that relation. One of the highlights is to find ways to support and

encourage more responsible travel behaviors and perhaps shift the mindset

altogether – if possible – it is a challenge but perhaps an exciting role to play as part

of the place attractiveness.

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- AI of course, is changing the game – sometimes in ways that can be very tricky for

places. AI – generated images can create unrealistic and yes misleading impressions

of places. Icelandair actually just launched an interesting campaign around this,

taking a stand against fake, AI- created visual – with a clear message that places like

Iceland do not need artificial enhancements: Link to the campaign

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- We also have an exciting opportunity next year around a total Solar eclipse in August

in Iceland which goes very well in line with noctourism (dark tourism) that is a

growing trend these days. But Reykjavik is very big on that with northern lights and

darkness part of the year and not to forget our bright summer nights."

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For the remainder of 2025, what do you see as the biggest challenge(s) for your

place to be attractive to your main target audience?

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"BIG question – I could go on about the competition, new regulations and policies etc. but I

can not, not mention the international politics and the uncertainty – as all of this can have a

major influence on travel confidence, spending habits and overall mobility in our main target

markets."

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