Our Heritage
Travel Connect builds on a solid foundation and long history. We trace our roots to 1937 in Iceland, and in the last decade, we have expanded our services and destination portfolio.
We are proud to have a growing number of talented employees across our seven brands. Together we serve our wonderful customers with a shared passion for travel and specialist knowledge of our destinations.
1937
The Icelandic state establishes the State's Travel Agency (Iceland Travel’s predecessor).
1978
The travel agency Terra Nova is founded.
1988
The State's Travel Agency becomes a public limited company, majority-owned by its employees.
1996
Icelandair, Iceland's flag carrier airline, acquires the State's Travel Agency as part of a new strategy to develop its tourism services.
1999
The State's Travel Agency rebrands to Iceland Travel.
2002
Nordic Visitor is founded by Ásberg Jónsson (now CEO of Travel Connect). Nordic Visitor starts out under the name Reykjavík Travel Service as a tourist information centre, internet café, and bicycle rental provider.
2003
Terra Nova is acquired by Primera Group.
2004
Nordic Visitor launches the first booking website and engine for tour packages to Iceland. Soon it closes the tourist information centre to focus on selling tour packages online.
2006
Nordic Visitor opens offices in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, to sell tour packages to all of the Nordic countries.
2010
Terra Nova launches an online booking site called Iceland Tours.
2015
Nordic Visitor opens an office in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, to sell tour packages of Scotland.
2016
The luxury travel brand Nine World is founded by Iceland Travel.
2017
Magma Hotel in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland, opens its doors to customers. The hotel is founded by Ásberg Jónsson and Davíð Harðarson, the CEO and CFO of Travel Connect.
2019
Nordic Visitor starts to operate tour packages of Ireland.
2020
Terra Nova is acquired by Nordic Visitor.
2021
Travel Connect – House of Travel Brands is founded. Iceland Travel and Nine Worlds is acquired by the group to join Terra Nova, Nordic Visitor, Iceland Tours, and Magma Hotel to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Travel Connect.