Meet the NorReg Project Leader: Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir and Regenerative Tourism

Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir has spent her entire professional career in the tourism industry, working in roles ranging from park ranger and horseback riding guide to, more recently, Director of the Icelandic Tourist Board and a project manager in Saudi Arabia.

Currently, she wears two hats in her professional life: together with her husband, she owns and operates a small tourism company at the tip of the Troll Peninsula in North Iceland, and she is also the project leader of Nordic Regenerative Tourism (NorReg).

As a small tourism business owner herself, Ólöf Ýrr recognizes the importance of including these entrepreneurs in tourism decision-making and development processes. This value is mirrored in the NorReg project, where SMiEs—small and micro-sized tourism entrepreneurs and businesses—play a central role. Ólöf Ýrr views these entrepreneurs as the backbone of the industry across the country. Their love and passion for their home regions often inspire creative and innovative solutions that can benefit the entire area. "Not focusing on them as drivers for development," Ólöf Ýrr says, "would be a really big mistake."

Their attachment to their home aligns with NorReg’s frequently used concepts of “place-based” tourism or “place attachment”—many of these entrepreneurs possess in-depth knowledge of the areas where they operate, further underlining their key role in tourism development and regenerative tourism practices.

When discussing regenerative tourism and its development, Ólöf Ýrr emphasizes that a key to successful implementation is to truly understand what regenerative tourism entails. She sees the tourism industry as an experiential sector, where every aspect of the experience is essential and must be viewed holistically. This echoes the concept of regenerative tourism, where tourism development is considered from both the resident's and visitor's points of view.

“We are changing roles all the time. And that’s why we need to show understanding to the visitors, because when we travel, WE are visitors ourselves,” she explains.

From a regenerative perspective, traveling is a unique opportunity to gain insider insights into other cultures and landscapes. A regenerative tourism experience may range from tasting local food to learning about nature and wildlife, hiking, or simply chatting with locals—an aspect Ólöf Ýrr particularly values in her role as a host:

“Tourism can open doors; it can open dialogues to welcome somebody to learn about your life.”

Ólöf Ýrr sees great value in the holistic approach promoted by regenerative tourism, as well as in the “triple helix” model on which the NorReg project is built. This model involves collaboration between tourism entrepreneurs, DMOs (Destination Management Organizations), and academia in guiding the project's development. Ólöf Ýrr often emphasizes that tourism cannot be viewed as an isolated industry; rather, it intersects with various other industries.

“Tourism touches upon most aspects of human endeavor. It is more connected to our sense of community than many other business sectors, so it is very important to work with the public. The public is us, and we don’t want any business to lord over us.”

In this model, academia provides a consulting role, contributing unbiased, systematically gathered knowledge as a foundation for further discussion and insights.

“Because at the end of the day, this is about our lives. So each industry must consider: what is it doing to my life, to my neighbor’s life, and to nature? That is what all industries must keep in mind.”

Learn more about the NorReg project leader Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir in the NorReg podcast.