Since the National Park was founded in 2007, it has been necessary to respond to the growing number of applications from operators who wish to conduct business with facilities or in specific locations within the National Park. For this reason, conditions regarding private business contracts were included in the National Park Code in 2016 and its private business policy was approved in 2019.

The private business policy established here is indicative of the National Park's views on certain principles concerning cooperation with the economic sector, in addition to which the regulation must contain provisions regarding procedure. There is also an important foundation provided by the Management and Conservation Plan as it is defined therein how services and accessibility shall be arranged in the National Park, including the maximum extent of activities in each location, if necessary.

The private business policy lays down main lines but various aspects need to be worked out in more detail and in consultation with interested parties. In that regard it is necessary to ensure a fair outcome for those who are already providing services within the National Park.

The private business policy of Vatnajökull National Park was approved by the Park on 24 June 2019.

Tourism services within Vatnajökull National Park saw a huge boom in the years before the pandemic along with an ever increasing flow of tourists into Iceland. There was a need for clear and transparent rules to ensure that economic activities were conducted in a manner consistent with rules regarding the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and good practises. For this reason, conditions regarding service provider agreements were included in the National Park Code in 2016 and its private business policy was approved in 2019. The first contracts were made in the autumn of 2020 and the next winter will be the third one with contracts in place regarding ice cave and glacier trips. Contracts have also been made regarding glacier walks in the summer and operations of food trucks.

From the beginning, the intention with Vatnajökull National Park has been to strengthen local communities and economic activity in the Park's immediate neighbourhood, including by encouraging sustainable use of the assets inherent in the area, and these objectives were emphasised in the amendment of the Act on Vatnajökull National Park in 2016.

The National Park's Board of Directors worked on the formulation of an private business policy in order to ensure that the views of interested parties would be taken into consideration in the formulation thereof, while also ensuring conservation of the National Park. It was emphasised that there should be good cooperation with all parties who make use of the National Park directly or indirectly for economic growth. The Board of Vatnajökull National Park submitted a draft for the Park's private business policy and invited written suggestions and comments with a deadline for submission on 1 May 2019. In February and March of 2019 there were five consultation meetings regarding the private business policy of Vatnajökull National Park, one for each administrative area, plus the Capital Region. In addition, a survey was offered online to seek viewpoints on the same issues that were discussed in the consultation meetings. A great deal of information was gathered regarding the participants' views on various questions that directly or indirectly concerned economic activities in the National Park.

Innleiðing atvinnustefnu er umfangsmikið verkefni sem er í stöðugri þróun. Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður er gersemi á heimsvísu og því einstakur vettvangur upplifunar. Það setur einnig þær kröfur að vanda skuli til verka, sérstaklega er varðar verndun umhverfis og öryggi gesta. Á hverju ári safnast í reynslubankann hvort sem er hjá Vatnajökulsþjóðgarði eða samstarfsaðilum. Samningar um atvinnutengda starfsemi hafa fram til þess eingöngu verið gerðir á suðursvæði þjóðgarðsins enda er þar umfangsmesta atvinnustarfsemin.

Af hálfu Vatnajökulsþjóðgarðs er nú unnið að innleiðingu atvinnustefnunnar. Í því felst m.a. gerð verklagsreglna og leiðbeininga um framkvæmd stjórnsýslu er snýr að samningagerð vegna atvinnustarfsemi í þjóðgarðinum og útgáfu leyfa. Jafnframt er unnið að undirbúningi rafrænnar stjórnsýslu.

Leitast er við að hafa náið samráð við hagsmunaaðila og aðra við innleiðingu atvinnustefnunnar og mótun stjórnsýslu. Meðal yfirlýstra markmiða sem fram koma í atvinnustefnunni er að öll ákvarðanataka skuli vera gegnsæ, skilvirk og málefnaleg og að sanngjarn fyrirvari skuli hafður á öllum ákvörðunum sem líklegar eru til að snerta atvinnutengda hagsmuni. Þá skal samráð við hagsmunaaðila vera virkt, skipulagt og til þess fallið að leiða í ljós mikilvæg úrlausnarefni í samskiptum þjóðgarðsins við atvinnulífið. Miðlar þjóðgarðurinn upplýsingum, tímanlega og ítarlega, um fyrirætlanir sínar og stjórnsýslu.

Process for the formation of the private business policy

Private buisness policy of Vatnajökull National Park - Icelandic version

Private buisness policy of Vatnajökull National Park, 1. version - 24.06.2019

Private business policy

Process for the formation of the private business policy

Background

Consultation

Introduction

Private buisness policy of Vatnajökull National Park, 1. version - 24.06.2019

Private buisness policy of Vatnajökull National Park - Icelandic version