Faroe Islands is closing to tourists for two days in 2020. All major attractions will be off limits but hotels will stay open and volunteers are invited to take part in a special project.
Gasadalur village and a waterfall flowing into the sea
Faroe Islands will technically close for a weekend in April 2020 ©Dmitry Pistrov/Shutterstock
Faroe Islands will technically close during the weekend of 16 and 17 April 2020. You’ll still be able to fly in and out of the island nation at this time and check into hotels and guesthouses but you won’t be able to visit its famous attractions unless you’re a volunteer. That’s because Faroe Islands will be “closed for maintenance, open for voluntourism” according to an official notice on the national tourism website.
That weekend, people all over the country will be working on conservation projects and, as the tourism board puts it, “delivering a touch of TLC to the Faroese countryside.” It follows a successful pilot campaign earlier this year, where volunteers spent three days undertaking tasks to prepare the island archipelago for a busy summer tourist season.
Travel news: Faroe Islands win Michelin star
Travel news: Faroe Islands win Michelin star
A new culinary sensation has emerged from the Faroe Islands – KOKS, a new restaurant helmed by 26-year-old chef Poul Andrias Ziska – bringing the remote islands their first Michelin star.
Faroe Islands win Michelin star
The island nation, which is governed by Denmark, has a population of around 50,000 but annual tourism doubles that figure. In 2013, 68,000 tourists visited and last year that figure reached 110,000. This boom is fuelled by cheaper flights, new accommodation and the Michelin star awarded to the fine dining restaurant Koks in 2017. Interest is expected to grow even further next year with the opening of two new hotels.
The boat harbour in Tórshavn, capital of the Faroe Islands
The boat harbour in Tórshavn, capital of the Faroe Islands ©Justin Foulkes/Lonely Planet
If you’d like to help the Faroe Islands prepare for the influx of visitors this summer, you can do so by applying to work as a volunteer here. Tasks will include marking paths with signposts, mending paths, improving access to beauty spots and rebuilding cairns. When the work is completed, you’ll be treated to a celebratory meal with locals, complete with Faroese food and dancing. Thousands of applicants applied last year and there are only 100 spaces open so act fast.