Faroe Islands seeks a tourist-free weekend with a new campaign

Monday, February 25, 2019

Faroe Islands is a tiny destination marketing organization that is led by Guðrið Højgaard. It was considering a new campaign that would urge most tourists not to come to the North Atlantic archipelago, at least for one weekend. Instead, the country is inviting 100 volunteers to come work with residents on local improvement projects on April 26 and 27.

“Imagine if no media thought that this was a fun story, or nobody applied,” Højgaard said.

By Thursday afternoon, just a day after the message went out, the story had received widespread coverage and more than 1,000 applications had come.

“There are way too many,” Højgaard said, delighted.

Volunteers have to pay for their flight. A special rate has been arranged, and they will be given food and a place to stay. The first 100 who book tickets will be welcome, but staffers are seeing if they can accommodate more even as Faroe Islands residents are thinking if they might be able to take advantage of the extra workers.

Although Prime Minister Aksel Johannesen has said that the Faroe Islands will be “closed for maintenance, open for voluntourism,” essentially, what will be closed are eight to 10 popular sites and attractions. Visitors will pitch in to put up signs, install steps, build paths or add fences where needed.

“It’s hard work, but we’ll also try to give them a memorable weekend and we’ll end with a great party,” Højgaard said.

Although the Faroe Islands has not been inundated with tourists, the number of visitors has increased 10 percent in recent years, reaching an estimated 110,000 in 2018.

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