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The Icelandic government has encouraged citizens to go online and tell the world what they like most about their country, after a drop in tourism in the wake of the volcanic eruptions.

Iceland hour, which took place between 1pm and 2pm GMT, saw tens of thousands of proud citizens tweeting, blogging, telling stories and sending e-cards eulogising about the country.

Before the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in April, tourism was booming but visitor numbers have since fallen by 15 per cent. Much of this slump can be accounted for by the closing of Icelandic airspace but ministers also believe tourists have been put off visiting the North Atlantic island by the negative international coverage surrounding the ash cloud crisis.

Yoko Ono also used her Twitter feed to publicise the cause. Her connection to Iceland was highlighted in 2007 when she unveiled the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavík in honour of John Lennon.

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