Faroe Islands closing to tourists – briefly

CNN — Managing a popular tourist attraction can be kind of like throwing a party – everyone wants to come and have fun, but nobody wants to help clean up when it’s over. An official notice on the islands’ national tourism website reads “closed for maintenance, open for voluntourism.” The country made the decision to “close” its major tourism sights and attractions during the weekend of April 26-27, 2019. That weekend, people all over the island archipelago will be working on conservation projects and, as the tourism board puts it, “delivering a touch of TLC to the Faroese countryside to ready it for visitors in 2019.” However, people who are just dying to visit the Faroes during that weekend can sign on to help with the housekeeping. “For us, tourism is not all about numbers,” Guðrið Højgaard, Director at Visit Faroe Islands, tells CNN Travel. “We welcome visitors to the islands each year, but we also have a responsibility to our community and to our beautiful environment, and our aim is to preserve and protect the islands, ensuring sustainable and responsible growth.” The hundred voluntourists include travelers from Mexico, Israel, Australia, China and the United States.