Faroe Islands ‘Preservolution’ Strategy Prioritizes Sustainability, Engages Local Residents

During the fourth weekend in April, you won’t see tourists hiking the popular village path connecting Fuglafjørður and Hellurnar. They won’t be able to easily access the picturesque lighthouse on Nólsoy or reach the pebble beach in Froðba, either. In fact, 10 popular Faroe Islands tourist destinations will be “Closed for Maintenance” — accessible to only a select group of “voluntourists” as part of a dedicated Maintenance Crew.

For the fifth year in a row, voluntourists will spend three days participating in maintenance projects as part of the Visit Faroe Islands (VFI) sustainable tourism strategy. In exchange for free accommodation, food and transport, the 100 members of this Maintenance Crew will put in manual labor, helping locals with tasks such as repairing paths, replacing wayfinding posts, installing information signs, and building benches and steps.

“I think we can say that the ‘Closed’ initiative has been a huge success,” said Súsanna Sørensen, marketing manager of leisure and public relations for VFI. ‘Closed for Maintenance’ was launched in 2019 to showcase Visit Faroe Islands’ commitment to both development and preservation. “We needed the promotion/PR to make people aware of the initiative; but the work has always been about maintaining and improving areas that needed attention.”

Canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and restricted to only Faroese in 2021, the initiative is back with a vengeance — with more than 4,300 people signing up with the hope of being selected through a lottery system for the next Maintenance Crew.