The Faroe Islands to close again for maintenance

The Faroe Islands will be closed for maintenance in 2020, said a notice on the Visit Faroe Islands, national tourism website. An official notice on the site reads, “closed for maintenance, open for voluntourism.”

The islands had shut down its hotspots in spring 2019 as a part of their pilot scheme and asked people for help. Following its success, they have decided to close its major tourist sights during the weekend of April 16-17, 2020. Even though the sites will be closed for the public, the hotels will be available and flights will continue to work. 

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As per the data given by the Visit Faroe Islands, 5,886 volunteers had signed up to be a part of the maintenance crew within 24 hours of the registration opening--over 2000 more people than the 2019 project. People from over 95 countries including Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Taiwan, Russia, etc. took part in the project. The Faroes’ Prime Minister, Aksel V. Johannesen had joined the campaign by inviting the volunteers to lend a helping hand. 

The volunteers worked with the local villagers and farmers to identify several areas where some attention was needed to preserve the infrastructure of the Islands. 

Fourteen popular sites including Slættaratindur, the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, will remain closed to the general public in 2020. A hundred volunteers have been chosen form 30 countries. They will work with local people to improve the environment. In return, the tourists get accommodation, food, and transport on the islands. 

The Faroe Islands is a group of 18 mountainous islands located between Iceland and Scotland in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Island’s population is nearly 50,000. Its main industry is fishing which approximately accounts for 90 percent of the exports and about 20 percent of the GDP. The Islands welcome around 110,000 visitors each year. 

According to the figure stated by the World Economic Forum, Tourism generates 10 percent of all global economic activities. It generates jobs and opportunities for the people but many a time, over-tourism strains the infrastructure of the place and also damages the vulnerable habitats.

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