While the lava pours out, tourism money pours in

ALTHOUGH the volcano is causing chaos elsewhere, such natural disasters may be Iceland’s saviour, as the country experiences an unexpected tourism boom.

Crowned the “best-value destination for 2010” by Lonely Planet guidebooks, thousands of tourists have flocked to the land of ice and fire this year, drawn by volcanoes, whale safaris, geo-thermal spas and a favourable exchange rate.

Mother Nature appears to be working to bring the country back to prosperity. An earlier, minor volcanic eruption close to the current one has turned a previously deserted part of the country into a major attraction, with visitors flocking to catch a glimpse of the still gushing lava.