Yesterday Elding was rewarded a new recognition by the Icelandic Tourist Board. This is the Endorsed travel service and Enviro Gold certification Vakinn.

Vakinn is a new quality- and environmental system that came into effect in 2012. It is a product of increased demand for a standardized quality system suitable for all branches of tourism in Iceland. The work behind it begun in 2008 when the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism assigned the Icelandic Tourist Board and the Innovation Centre Iceland the project. It builds a lot on Qualmark, New Zealand tourism’s official mark of quality assurance, but has been adjusted and localized for Icelandic circumstances.

It is meant to increase safety and strengthen quality and professionalism in the field of tourism. We are truly proud to be the first to receive the Gold Certification and hope that it will encourage others to go the same way. We also want to congratulate our collaborators at IcelandExcursions, Bílaleiga Akureyrar - Höldur and Atlantik for their recognition.

Photo credit to the Icelandic Tourist Board

From the left Steingrímur Birgisson, Bílaleiga Akureyrar – Höldur; Ólafía Sveinsdóttir, Ferðaskrifstofan Atlantik; Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, Elding hvalaskoðun; Rúnar Garðarsson, Iceland Excursions Allrahanda and Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir, Iceland's Director General of Tourism.