These Tourist-Loved Islands Are Closing for Three Days to Fight Overtourism

The Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark, roughly equidistant between Iceland and Norway. The islands have seen a steep rise in tourism in the last few years, and with a population of slightly more than 53,000 across 540 square miles, it’s been beneficial to the economy. But it also puts a strain on fragile landscapes and infrastructure, such as the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs (which provide nesting sites for puffins) and the trails clearings around waterfalls like Múlafossur and Fossá.

Tourism began in earnest on the Faroe Islands around 2014, and boomed in 2019, when visitation jumped by 15 percent over 2018. Post-COVID-19, it rebounded well. In 2022, the number of overnight stays at lodging facilities reached 228,757, marking a 32 percent increase compared to 2019. And in 2023, the islands welcomed roughly 130,000 visitors, and tourism accounted for a small-but-growing six percent of the territory’s GDP, or about $122 million per year. Most tourists visit for the island’s outdoor draws, such as hiking, wildlife photography, and undeveloped viewpoints and scenic areas.

“The Faroe Islands are still in their early days as a tourist destination,” writes the official announcement, which says that the goal is to avoid serious overtourism problems before they begin. “We aim to mend paths where necessary and guide people safely to prevent issues from evolving.”

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Each year, approximately 100 volunteers are selected to participate in the territory-wide clean-up effort. But if you want to be one of the lucky few selected, you’ll need to act fast — registration closes on January 16 at 11 AM GST, which is 3 AM in San Francisco and 6 AM in New York City. So if you want to apply, you need to do it immediately (you can always change your mind later). Volunteers get free housing and meals, making the only significant cost the flight to the islands. And even that is discounted, with volunteers receiving a promo code to use on the territory’s Atlantic Airways (connecting through European airports).

The 100 selected volunteers are chosen from a pool of thousands of applicants from around the world. They’ll be teamed up with locals for projects like repairing hiking trails and footbridges, cleaning habitats of litter and signs of human activity, and installing signage to protect sensitive areas from overuse. While there’s no requirement for volunteers to have construction skills, you do need to be willing to help and learn, and have enough physical fitness for moderately active tasks on uneven terrain. All instruction and communication is in English.

Winners will be notified on January 24, at which point they can begin planning their trips. The discount flight code is good for any time, so you can add extra days to the trip to explore the islands before or after your volunteer days. The program’s transparent and inclusive approach has garnered widespread support, with more and more travelers applying each year for one of the coveted spots. In 2023, the program received more than 4,500 applications.