UNESCO recognises Iceland's pool culture as intangible heritage
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Apr 30
UNESCO recognises Iceland's pool culture as intangible heritage
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Apr 30
The late-2025 listing has raised fears in Reykjavik that tourists could spread from lagoons to about 150 public pools in a country of fewer than 400,000 people.
Iceland has drawn roughly two million visitors annually since 2017, and locals worry the honour could expose pools long used as everyday social spaces for exercise, bathing and conversation.
The designation places Iceland's pool tradition alongside about 850 UNESCO-listed practices worldwide, but some residents fear cultural recognition could intensify over-tourism rather than protect local life.
After a fatal ice cave accident, are Iceland's cherished pools the next casualty of over-tourism?
When a local sanctuary gets a UNESCO title, who is it truly for: the community or the tourists?