( CNN ) -- Despite public perception , Iceland is hot . Sure , summer temperatures rarely rise above 13 C , but the small Nordic country has become a holiday superstar . Tourism has nearly doubled since 2000 ( last year saw over 565,000 visitors ) , but while tourism has helped jolt Iceland out of recession , the country is courting a different demographic : it wants to woo business travelers . `` The tourism numbers fluctuate a lot , depending on the season , whereas corporate travel is distributed more evenly throughout the year , '' explains Thorsteinn Orn Gudmundsson , managing director of Meet in Reykjavik , the official convention bureau for the Icelandic capital . Hoping to tap into the events market , Reykjavik has set to work building its conference infrastructure . Perhaps the most prominent display of the city 's corporate courtship is the newly built Harpa , a combo concert hall and convention center that opened May 2011 . A joint effort by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson , Henning Larsen Architects and Batteriio Architects , Harpa is one of the most cutting-edge conference centers in the world . Its glittery , disco-like facade is meant to mimic the country 's stunning glacial surrounds , while the interior evokes Iceland 's lava fields . See also : Best business hotels 2012 . The acoustics , however , are the real star . Each of Harpa 's four concert halls has a large overhead reflector system and acoustics control chambers , all of which are intended to produce a superior sound . `` We may be a small country , but we 've got big ideas , '' says Karitas Kjartansdottir , Harpa 's conference director . Though the venue is in its early days , and Kjartansdottir reckons it takes up to five years to market a new conference hall , Harpa has already booked some big gigs . `` If you 're a manager , and you 're risk-adverse , you might be hesitant to send several hundred of your best employees overseas somewhere , especially if you 're not fully sure of how evolved the infrastructure is in that place , '' says Gudmundsson . `` People who have been here already know how state-of-the art our technology and infrastructure are , but there are some who have no idea , and they might think of Iceland as primitive , in a sense . Our focus right now is in trying to shift that perception . '' See also : Iceland bouncing back on tourism boom . Another advantage that managers may not be privy to is the convenience of Iceland 's location . Though it may seem like a distant land , the country is a mere three-hour flight from central Europe , and five hours from many North American destinations . Meet in Reykjavik has adopted the slogan `` meet in the middle , '' a reference to both the country 's handy midway coordinates , and to the historic Reykjavik Summit , where former U.S. President Ronald Reagan met with General Secretary of the Soviet Union 's Communist Party Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 , to negotiate arms control . `` It will be a long time before we get another meeting as prominent as the Reykjavik Summit , '' says Gudmundsson . `` Though one could say that it was the starting point for Iceland becoming a destination for meetings . '' The national carrier , Icelandair , has also been a major factor in developing the country 's connectivity with the world . Over the last few years it has developed its flight network , increasing both the number and frequency of direct routes . `` We have great connections from the [ United ] States to Iceland , and that puts us in a strong market position , '' notes Kjartansdottir . Watch video : Richard Quest 's presidential tour of Iceland . But perhaps the country 's greatest sell is its natural beauty . The Blue Lagoon -- the most visited sight in Iceland -- is also set up for meetings and conferences . There are board rooms and theaters that can accommodate up to 90 guests , and which overlook the lava fields , glaciers , waterfalls and the lagoon itself . Some companies even hold meetings in the midst of the steaming waters . `` The Blue Lagoon brings more energy to business groups , and makes corporate events more fun and productive , '' notes Magnea Guomundsdottir , the director of public relations for Blue Lagoon Iceland . Gudmundsson attended one such meeting while a management consultant at McKinsey & Company . `` There were 30 of us standing in the blue water , watching the snow come from the sky while discussing the values of the company , '' said Gudmundsson . `` It literally blew the socks off everybody there . `` Six weeks earlier , we 'd had an event in New York . It was very nice , and memorable , but nothing close to how distinctive the Blue Lagoon was . '' As if the setting was n't unique enough , Blue Lagoon has also arranged DJs , circuses and modern dance performers for corporate events . `` It 's in keeping with the spirit of the setting , '' notes Guomundsdottir .
Iceland is trying to attract more business travelers . It is pitching itself as a halfway point between Europe and the United States . High - tech Iceland is a state - of - the - art convention center . Famous Blue Lagoon springs is also set up for concerts and conferences .