Skift Global Forum Preview: How the Faroe Islands Got the Tourism World’s Attention
Photo Credit: The Faroe Islands. Earlier this year major tourism sights on the archipelago were closed for regular business. Visit Faroe Islands
Skift Take
The Faroe Islands has managed to punch above its weight with its tourism campaigns in recent years. Smaller, more remote destinations often have to be pretty creative in order to get attention.
When you're small, sometimes you have to do something bold to get noticed.
The Faroe Islands, an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic roughly between Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, has had to think creatively when it comes to persuading people to come and visit.
In fact, one of the ways it has done this is by telling people not to come — at least for one weekend. Earlier this year, it closed a number of popular tourist sites and invited 100 volunteers from 25 countries to work with locals on improvement works.
The idea fits into the quirky, idiosyncratic image the island chain, which is technically a self-governing part of Denmark, has been trying to cultivate in recent years.
Tourism has continued to grow with revenue from the sector, with visitor numbers rising steadily in recent years, but the Faroe Islands is conscious of the fine line it has to walk to make sure locals continue to see the benefits.
Guðrið Højgaard, director
