Inspired By Iceland: What Are People Renaming Iceland

As Shakespeare once wrote, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" and now it looks like Iceland is putting that prose to the test. But the country isn't talking about renaming its national flower, the Mountain Avens. No, the small, Nordic island nation is talking about something bigger: their very name.

But will tourists really get an opportunity to write off Iceland and replace it with names like Sportacusland or AwesomelandUnicornMichaelJackson?

Well, much to the relief of cartographers and probably the international community, the answer is no. What participants will get is the chance to have a special day in the country's calendar for "a day where we celebrate what the world loves most about Iceland," according to a press release by Inspired by Iceland.

The move was part of of an ad campaign designed by the company to get travellers to share their experiences with the country, Icelanders and fellow tourists looking to see what the nation has to offer.

Some Of The Responses To The 'Rename Iceland' Campaign. Story Continues Below:

As reported by Huffington Post Travel, the campaign on Twitter and Facebook started back in August with the question "What would you name Iceland if this was your first glimpse?". The question garnered more than 10,000 responses in three weeks.

Since then, the company has also launched a section on their website, Inspired By Iceland, turning people's submissions into posters.

Checkout What Other 'Icelands' That People Have Created. Story Continues Below:

The small country of just over 300,000 people has been in recovery mode since the global financial crisis of 2008 left the country bankrupt, and the country's currency, the krona, essentially worthless in the global economy, according to Bloomberg Business Week.

Not surprisingly, the country's main airline, Icelandair has offered travellers a free stopover to or from Europe to help the country's tourism industry. The offer essentially allows a free night stay at a four-star hotel in the country's capital of Reykjavik.

And depending on the outcome of the country's economy, there might be another reason for Canadians to travel to Iceland: The potential adoption of the Canadian dollar as the country's new currency. Ottawa has neither approved or shunned the proposal, though they did cancel a proposed speech saying they would not be opposed to the idea.

Still, that hasn't stopped Iceland from pursuing the Loonie. In an interview with Icelandic economist Heidar Gudjonsson with Business Insider, he said there's a strong cultural bond between the Northern European Island and the Great White North.

"Icelanders feel close connections with Canada, just as they feel close connections with many people that live in the northern areas of Norway and other places, said Gudjonsson.

So, have Iceland's recent efforts made you more inclined to visit the country? Let us know in the comment section or via Twitter @HPCaTravel.