Føroyar – eitt ævintýrligt goymistað

Fyrsta av fýra greinum um, hvussu tóm hotelkømur verða fylt,

eftir Elina Brimheim Heinesen, fyrrverandi stjóra í SamViti

National Geographic Traveler skýrdi Føroyar at vera besta, mest óspilta oyggjalandið í heiminum. Tað er ikki uttan orsøk, at ein slík kanning er vorðin almannakunnngjørt júst hesi  árini, og at eitt land sum Føroyar endar á ovastu rók. Elin Brimheim Heinesen hugleiðir um, hví rákið hóast alt er til fyrimuns fyri Føroyar, og hvat tað merkir fyri framtíðar ferðavinnumøguleikar í landinum.

Hóast ein ávís afturgongd tykist at vera í ferðafólkatalinum til Føroya beint í løtuni, so vænti eg, at gongdin vendir aftur, men bert um føroyingar seta seg inn í og duga at lofta alheimsrákinum beint nú. Tað er ikki ógjørligt at venda gongdini, tí eitt vaksandi tal av ferðafólkum leita eftir øðrvísi, meira óspiltum og tryggum ferðamálum. Tey ynskja at koma burtur úr dagliga trummirumminum eina løtu, seta ferðina niður og sleppa sær undan eini larmandi, hóttandi og dálkaðari verð, sum bara tykist at mala skjótari og skjótari.

Fleiri og fleiri ynskja at ferðast til upprunakend, náttúruvøkur støð, har tey fáa frið at brúka allar sansir, so tey kenna seg meira frísk og livandi – anda djúpt og bara síggja, merkja, lurta, lukta og smakka. Tey ynskja at fáa frískan íblástur og at seta ferð á hugflogið og skapanarhugin. Tað finnast ikki so nógv ferðamál longur, sum kunnu møta øllum hesum krøvum. Men Føroyar hóska sum fótur í hosu til tørvin og hava tí allar møguleikar fyri at gerast eitt “trendy” ferðamál, um føroyingar bara duga at gagnnýta eftirspurningin úti í heimi til egnan fyrimun.

Í sambandi við seinasta ferðavinnukjakið í miðlunum, umframt sokallaða vakstrar- ella ‘kreppupakkan’, har politikkarar nú lova at seta pengar av til marknaðarføring av Føroyum m.a. sum ferðaland, hevur undirritaða hug at koma við nøkrum hugleiðingum um, hvussu hetta kann gerast, nú eg ikki longur havi ábyrgd fyri almennu umsitingini av m.a. ferðavinnu. Vónandi kann mítt íkast tó enn koma framtíðar ferðavinnu í Føroyum til góðar.

Hvat onnur siga um Føroyar
Tá ein av heimsins fremstu serfrøðingum í tjóðarbranding, Simon Anholt, varð spurdur av einum ritstjóra frá Bradt’s Travel Guides, heimsins størsta ferðabókaforlag, um hann vildi geva sítt íkast til eina ferðaleiðbeiningarbók um Shangri La (eitt land bert til í søgnum) segði hann: “Eg síggi Føroyar sum sagnarlandið Shangri La í 21’ndu øld”. Tað er als ikki óvanligt at hoyra útsagnir sum hesa og sum ta, ið tann australski journalisturin Eric Campbell frá australsku sjónvarpssendingini “Foreign Correspondent”, segði: “Burtur av leið og undrunasamt hugfangandi síggja oyggjarnar út sum okkurt úr eini fornnorrønari søgn”. Hann segði eisini: ”Føroyar kunnu væl gerast heimsins næsta land!” (The Faroe Islands could very well be the world’s next country!) Harvið meinti hann, at Føroyar fóru kanska í næstum at gerast eitt tað mest spennandi landið í heiminum at ferðast til.

Í eini New York Times grein í 2007 við yvirskriftini: “Into the Mystical Unreal Reality of the Faroe Islands” (Inn í gandakenda óveruliga veruleikan í Føroyum), lýsir høvundurin Føroyar sum “the most curious place left on earth” (tað mest forvitnisliga landið, sum er eftir í heiminum). Journalisturin Stephen Metcalf lýsti sína fatan soleiðis: “Føroyar eru sanniliga tað mest stemningsfulla og vakrasta staðið, eg nakrantíð havi verið”. Onnur úttrykkja tað við orðum sum “otherwordly” (sum úr øðrum heimi) ella sum “Lord of the Rings-country” (Land Ringanna Harra) og onnur aftur sum “The Grand Canyon í Norðuratlantshavi”.

Bestu oyggjar í heiminum
Hóast nógvir útlendingar halda, at Føroyar eru heilt serstaka vakrar og spennandi sum ferðamál, eru Føroyar enn ikki at síggja í nógvum ferðakatalogum. Hetta kann tó møguliga fara og broyta seg, tí National Geographic Traveler skýrdi Føroyar at vera tær bestu og mest dragandi oyggjarnar út av 111 oyggjasamfeløgum í heiminum – frammanfyri Azorurnar, Bahama Oyggjarnar, Hawaii, Ísland og eina rúgvu av øðrum fantastiskum oyggjasamfeløgum. 522 ferðaserfrøðingur komu fram til hetta úrslitið seint í 2007. Ein líknandi kanning verður ikki gjørd í bræði aftur, so henda kanningin verður tí galdandi nógv ár fram. (sí http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html)
Hetta hevur givið Føroyum ómetaliga virðismikið lýsingarvirði. Men harvið eru ikki allar súður syftar.

Møguligir vandar fyri framman
Føroyar eru eitt pinkalítið land, har fá fólk búgva. Tað merkir við øðrum orðum, at føroyingar í mun til onnur lond hava sera avmarkaða fíggjarliga orku til at marknaðarføra seg. Tað er fremsta orsøkin til, at landið er so ókent. Men føroyingar hava tó ein stóran fyrimun – tí Føroyar á mangan hátt hava eitt ríkari og óspiltari náttúru- og mentanartilfeingi at bjóða enn so nógv onnur lond. Størsti parturin av heiminum hevur bara ikki rættiliga so nógvar møguleikar fyri at fáa eyga á tað.

Hóast veðurlagið í Føroyum er avbjóðandi, eiga føroyingar ikki at undirmeta atdráttarmegina, sum Føroyar kunnu hava, um tær vóru sjónligari – eisini hóast ferðafólkatalið beint nú sær út til at minka. Rákið kann skjótt venda aftur. Eingin veit, um ella nær okkurt hendir, sum setir Føroyar á heimskortið, sum kann føra til, at landið kemur uppá móta at ferðast til. T.d. at føroyingar fáa ein kendan ‘ambassadør’ – eins og Bjørk er ambassadørur fyri Ísland ella ABBA hevur verið tað fyri Svøríki.

Sjálv haldi eg, at Føroyar hava sera góðar møguleikar fyri at menna eina lønandi ferðavinnu. Hetta hoyri eg útlendingar, sum hava verið í Føroyum, siga í heilum. Teir síggja nógvar óbrúktar møguleikar. Men ynskja føroyingar at brúka hesar møguleikar? Hvat slag av ferðavinnu ynskja føroyingar? Er t.d. hópferðavinna í Føroyum ynskilig?

Viðkvæmar oyggjar Tað er týdningarmikið at minnast til, at av tí at oyggjarnar eru so smáar, eru tær eisini sera viðkvæmar, so sum National Geographic Traveler eisini hevur gjørt vart við. Føroyingar kunnu skjótt spenna bein fyri sær sjálvum og missa tjansin fyri at gagnnýta góðar møguleikar, ið standa teimum í boði, um fólk byrja at selja ov nógv út av tí, sum landið hevur, ov skjótt. Tað hevur stóran týdning at gera alt fyri at sleppa undan at gera mistøk, har ikki vendst við aftur, tí tey mistøk føroyingar gera í dag, kunnu sera skjótt føra til, at júst teir fyrimunir, sum gera Føroyar so serstakar og dragandi beint nú, fara fyri skeyti.

Undir øllum umstøðum er neyðugt at fyrireika seg og leggja lunnar undir framtíðar ferðavinnu. Men fyrst mugu týdningarmiklir spurningar svarast, so sum: Hvussu nógv ferðafólk kunnu oyggjarnar rúmast? Nær eru tey so nógv, at tey órógva tey náttúrligu og mentanarligu upprunaeyðkenni, sum beint nú verða roknað sum bestu fyrimunir Føroya? Veðrið kann eingin gera nakað við, men til ber at ansa eftir tí tilfeingi, sum eyðkennir Føroyar, og sum er so serstakt, at tað verður roknað sum tað mest virðismikla føroyingar eiga – kanska serliga í annara eygum.

Sjálv vóni eg, at føroysk ferðavinna kann mennast til eina lønandi vinnu, men samstundis eisini til eina burðardygga og vistfrøðivinarliga vinnu, ið ikki oyðileggur virðismiklu og lutvíst óspiltu náttúruna og mentanina í Føroyum, sum teir 522 ferðaserfrøðingarnir á National Geographic Traveler eisini løgdu so stóran dent á. Tí hevur tað so stóran týdning at menna eina ferðavinnu, sum hjálpir føroyingum at varðveita sínar fyrimunir, sum Føroyar hava fram um onnur lond, og sum nógvir føroyingar sjálvir eisini elska og ikki ynskja at missa. Bera fólk seg skilagott at, eigur tað at bera til.

Ein vistfrøðivinalig og burðardygg ferðavinna Hópferðavinna er neyvan realistisk at fara eftir. Hon er heldur ikki tað verd, um føroyingar ynskja at varðveita sinar bestu fyrimunir, sum teir skulu liva av eisini í framtíðini. Í longdini fæst best burtur úr  at miða eftir hóskandi mongdum av tí slagnum av ferðafólkum, sum nettupp ikki ynskja “yvirturistað” støð, men fegin vilja gjalda meira fyri at vitja og uppliva “goymistøð”, har til ber at goyma seg burtur frá eini strongdari verð – og tó enn liva trygt og komfortabult.

Orsaka av heimsumfatandi veðurlags- og umhvørviskreppuni leggja fleiri og fleiri ferðfafólk alt størri dent á tað reina og óspilta, á burðardygd og vistfrøðiliga javnvág. Tvs. tey ynskja at ferðast til óspilt støð og ynskja ikki at ávirka ella broyta hesi støðini. Hesi ferðafólk vísa seg samstundis at vera tað slagið av ferðafólki, sum leggja lutvíst nógv fleiri pengar eftir seg. Tey velja tilvitað at leggja sínar pengar lokalt fyri at hjálpa lokalsamfelagnum á best møguliga hátt við at varðveita sín uppruna, tí tey ynskja, at tær mentanir og tann náttúra, tey vitja, verða varðveitt so væl sum gjørligt í sínum upprunalíki.

Upprunaleiki er vorðin ein veruliga eftirspurd mangulvøra í heiminum í dag.  Her hava Føroyar fyrimun, tí landið er – við síni sterku siðvenju og serligu náttúru – lutvíst meira upprunakent og serstakt í mun til onnur lond. Tað var tí, at Føroyar gjørdist nummar eitt á listanum hjá National Geographic Traveler. Spurningurin er í hvønn mun føroyingar sjálvir framhaldandi ynskja at liva upp til heiðurin.

Hvør er atdráttarmegin?
Fyri einaferð enn at ímynda ta møguligu atdráttarmegina, Føroyar hava, og undirstrika, hví eg haldi, at talið av ferðafólkum kann vaksa munandi í framtíðini, so fari eg her at endurgeva, hvussu ein bólkur av surfarum hava lýst Føroyar: “Oydnar strendur. Ein ómetaliga vøkur náttúra. Fullkomnar aldur. Hetta er júst tað, ein og hvør surfari bara droymir um... Fyri tveimum árum síðani ferðaðist ein bólkur av surfarum norður til Føroya. Tað, sum teir funnu har, gjørdi teir púrasta ovfarnar. Fleiri hundrað kilometrar av fólkatómum sjóvarstrondum. 18 tímar langar surfing dagar, ein streymur av aldum, sum áhaldandi rullaðu inn á strendurnar norðan úr havi. Tær fantastisku myndirnar, sum fotografurin Ouhilal vendi aftur við, vístu, at Føroyar eru eitt slag av Hawaii’anskum paradísi, har sandstrendurnar eru skiftar út við grønt gras, hotellini við flagtaktar smáttur, og einastu áskoðarafjøldirnar eru seyðir á biti.”

Fyrilitarloysi kann oyðileggja møguleikar Føroya Hetta er alt mikið gott – og surfarar eru helst ikki tey ringastu ferðafólkini at draga at sær. Tó so... um Føroyar fara at vekja alt størri ans millum surfarar og onnur fólk, sum hava lutvíst stóra ávirkan á alheimsrákið, so eri eg vís í, at størri fjøldir skjótt eisini gerast varug við hetta forkunnuga landið. Tíðindini kunnu skjótt ganga sum rótasúpan. Kend fólk kanska byrja at vitja. Og áðrenn fólk vita av tí, kunnu føroyingar fáa nakað, sum líkist einari innrás – ikki bara av surfarum, men eisini øllum møguligum øðrum, sum fylgja aftaná fyri at “herma” eftir sínum hetjum. Tað skal ikki altíð so nógv til, at ein nýggjur ‘móti’ fangar – bara hepni at gera tað rætta til røttu tíð.

Spurningurin er, hvat vit ynskja okkum. “Be careful what you wish for – it might come true” (Ansa eftir, hvat tú ynskir tær – tað kann gerast veruligt), siga fleiri útlendingar við føroyingar. Eingin veit tað við vissu, men núverandi støða kann broytast – kanska knappliga – júst  sum íslendingar upplivdu tað fyri nøkrum árum síðani. Innrásin har broytti teirra samfelag, so tey í dag hava mist ein stóran part av teirra upprunaleika í eygunum á mongum, tí tey ‘rúsaðust’ av menningini og vóru ov ágrýtin eftir at broyta sítt samfelag til ein altjóða standard – nakað, sum nógv ferðafólk í dag lasta íslendingar fyri, og nógvir íslendingar sjálvir eru harmir um, tí teir kenna, at teir hava mist sína sál. Fleiri hava tí rátt føroyingum til ikki at gera tað sama. So spurningurin er, um føroyingar kunnu læra av teim mistøkum, íslendingar hava gjørt. Tað gevur jú Føroyum ein fyrimun ikki at vera sum Ísland.

Í løtuni er ferðavinna tó ikki nøkur serliga lønandi vinna í Føroyum. Hetta ger tað torført at sannføra (summi) fólk í ferðavinnuni um, at tað ikki er líka mikið, hvussu Føroyar verða seldar. Selja føroyingar Føroyar “ov bíliga” og fara uppá kompromis við góðskuna bara fyri at fáa tann stuttskygda vinningin, kann hetta koma aftur um brekku seinni og fáa álvarsligar fylgjur. Summi fólk, sum liva av ferðavinnu, eru sjálvandi ‘svong’ – serliga nú í krepputíðum – og hetta kann gera tey fyrilitarleys, so tey ikki hugsa seg nóg væl um, men avleiðingin kann gerast, at tey saga greinina av, tey sjálvi sita á.

Miðvísar heildarætlanir skapa lønsemi
Eg skilji væl ynskið hjá summum um at taka ímóti øllum tí, sum tilvildarliga býður seg her og nú. Fyri tey snýr tað seg kanska bara um at yvirliva. Men skal ferðavinna loysa seg eisini í longdini, má farast hóvliga og skilagott fram. Tað er ikki haldbært bara at líta á tilvildina. Langskygdar heildarætlanir og stuðul til miðvísa marknaðarføring kunnu hjálpa vinnuni at draga ferðafólk til landið, sum ferðavinnan fær meira gagn og vinning av – ikki bara nú, men eisini langa tíð framyvir. Eitt væl tilrættislagt virksemi lønar seg skjótari og er meira støðugt, samstundis sum tað skjótari verður fíggjarliga og umhvørvisliga burðardygt.

Ein munagóð ætlan kundi borið í sær miðvíst arbeiði fyri at spjaða boðskapin um Føroyar sum eitt sermerkt, upprunaligt og umhvørvisliga burðardygt ferðamál kring heimin. Hesin boðskapur er jú í trá við ímyndina av Føroyum sum mest óspilta oyggjasamfelag, sum appellerar júst til ferðafólk, sum virða náttúru og mentan føroyinga, og sum føroysk ferðavinna fær mest burtur úr at fáa hendavegin.

Tað hevur altavgerandi týdning í hesum sambandi at byggja sterk netverk við lyklapersónar kring allan heim – tvs. viðkomandi ferðafyriskiparar og miðlafólk, sum hava áhuga fyri at varpa ljós á serlig ferðamál sum Føroyar. Netverkið er eitt virðismikið amboð, sum hjálpir føroysku ferðavinnuni at appellera til røttu málbólkarnar á munabesta og kostnaðarminsta hátt, og kann eisini gerast hollur ráðgevi fyri ferðavinnuna í Føroyum, tí tað er tætt uppá kundarnar og kennir teirra tørv.

Loysir seg ikki at broyta upprunaleikan
Gløgt er gestsins eyga, sigst. Av tí at útlendska netverkið sær Føroyar uttanífrá, kann tað vísa á , hvat skal til fyri at menna ferðavinnu á ein hátt, sum møtir eftirspurningin frá ferðafólkunum, uttan at føroyska samfelagið missir sín upprunaleika. Almenningurin í Føroyum – vanlig fólk, politikkarar og vinnan sum heild – tykjast ofta ikki at síggja skógina fyri berum trøum og hava lyndi til at vilja broyta føroyska samfelagið til ein standard, sum tey meina, hóskar til eitt altjóða støði, meðan útlendingarnir ofta júst ynskja at uppliva tað sermerkta við Føroyum, sum tey ikki uppliva aðrastaðni. Tey virðismeta kanska tað upprunakenda og ópoleraða meira enn nógvir føroyingar sjálvir gera, tí fyri tey er tað næstan ævintýrakent, tí tað er so nógv øðrvísi, enn tað tey eru von við.

Ferðavinna kann – um skeivt verður atborið – oyðileggja náttúruna, mentanina og upprunaleikan, sum er ein einastandandi kappingarfyrimunur, Føroyar hava í dag, tí tað er tað, sum ger Føroyar øðrvísi enn onnur lond. Men um rætt verður atborið kann vinnan gagnnýta fyrimunin á ein hátt, sum gevur framburð í Føroyum, men eisini styrkir føroyinganna uppruna og integritet sum tjóð – t.d. við at menna tilboð til ferðafólk, sum taka atlit til føroysk serkenni – til vøkru nattúruna, siðvenjuna og serligu mentanina – uttan at tað blívur ‘kunstugt’. Tað er upp til føroyingar at tryggja.

Ferðafólk, sum virðismeta upprunaleika, ynskja nettupp at leggja so nógv sum gjørligt eftir seg, so tað kann brúkast til varðveitslu av tí upprunaliga. So sum t.d. til náttúru- ella tjóðargarðar, sum vísa seg at draga serstakliga nógv ferðafólk. Tá íslendingar fyri nøkrum árum síðani gjørdu Snæfellsjøkull til tjóðargarð t.d., fýrafaldaðist vitjanartalið eftir stuttari tíð!

Hví er ferðavinna í Føroyum ikki størri longu?
Summi undrast: Jamen, um hesar oyggjar eru so fantastiskar, hví er ikki longu ein lønandi ferðavinna í Føroyum? Føroyar eru eitt tað minst “ferðafólkakenda” ferðamálið eftir í heiminum. Hóast Føroyar ikki eru langt burtur frá Evropeiska meginlandinum (bert ein um tveir tímar langan flúgvitúr úr Keypmannahavn ella London), hevur hetta ferðamálið fram til dagin í dag verið hildið at vera eitt sindur ov langt burtur fyri flest fólk, tí oyggjarnar vóru ikki so atkomiligar fyrr í tíðini. Tað hevur loyst seg illa fyri flutningsfyritøkurnar at lata upp nýggjar rutur ella títtari rutur, tí tá bert knøpp 50.000 fólk búgva í landinum, er marknaðurin ov lítil. Flutningsfyritøkurnar hava ikki ráð til tóm setur og at bíða eftir fleiri ferðafólki, so tær lata bara rutur upp, sum kunnu løna seg beinanvegin.

Tað ger tað torførari at byggja upp eina størri ferðavinnu í Føroyum. Hin vegin hevur hetta hjálpt føroyingum at varðveita oyggjarnar óspiltar – til nú í øllum førum. Men tað kann vísa seg framyvir at gerast ein av størstu fyrimununum fyri Føroyar, so sum heimurin sær út beint í løtuni.

Nýggir møguleikar
Fyrr ferðaðust fólk mest suðureftir, har tey kundu sóla sær. Men altjóða rák nú benda á, at “ævintýraferðir” til ókendari støð gerast støðugt betri umtóktar. Fleiri og fleiri ferðast norðureftir fyri at uppliva óspiltu, vøkru náttúruna og áhugaverdu mentaninar, sum finnast har, umframt tí tað er tryggari. Føroyingar eru so hepnir, at teir – framum so nógv onnur – kunnu av røttum halda uppá, at Føroyar eru júst tað – óspilt, upprunakent og trygt. Um føroyingar halda fast í tað, og samstundis brúka tað miðvíst og skilagott í marknaðarføringini av Føroyum, meðan tilboðini til ferðafólkini gagnnýta henda veruleika, kunnu føroyingar helst vænta nógv størri áhuga fyri ferðum til Føroya í framtíðini.

Men fyri at náa so langt, mugu føroyingar sjálvir skilja rákið og gera kravdu íløgurnar í menning og marknaðarføring av Føroyum sum hetta serstaka, óspilta landið. Hetta fara tær næstu greinirnar í hesi greinarøð at snúgva seg um.

Um greinarøðina “Hvussu verða tóm hotelkømur fylt” Hetta er fyrsta greinin av fýra hjá Elini Brimheim Heinesen um, hvussu støðan hjá ferðavinnu í Føroyum møguliga kann fáast at batna.

•  Fyrsta greinin snýr seg um, hví altjóða rákið hóast alt er til gagns fyri Føroyar og um, hvat tað merkir fyri framtíðar ferðavinnumøguleikar í Føroyum.
•  Onnur greinin snýr seg um avbjóðingarnar hjá ferðavinnuni - um, hvat skal til fyri at møta hesum avbjóðingum best, og hvussu tað almenna kann hjálpa vinnuni.
•  Triðja greinin snýr seg um, hví fleiri – bæði almennar og privatar – íløgur mugu til fyri at seta gongd á ferðavinnuna, og hvussu nógv skal til.
•  Fjóðra og síðsta greinin snýr seg um, hví ferðavinnan má standa samhaldfast saman – eisini um sín egna stovn - fyri at gera neyðugar heildarætlanir og gagnnýta gylt høvi best. 

Fá meira at vita:

• National Geographic Traveler kanningin, sum hevur Føroyar sum nummar eitt: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.htm
• Sjónbandið: "Where Nature Rules", sum fekk triðju virðisløn í altjóða films kappingini  "Golden City Gate" á ITB ferðasølustevnuni í Berlin 12 Mars 2009: http://www.samvit.fo/media/Where_Nature_Rules_The_Faroe_Islands.wmv 
• Áhugaverd australsk sending  “Foreign Correspondent” um Føroyar: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/faroe_islands_200k.asx . Les um sendingina her: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/s2050734.htm 
• Ein sera væl skrivað grein um Føroyar í New York Times: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03well.faroes.t.html
• Ein ensk podcast-sending um Føroyar, útvarpað hvørja viku á internetinum: http://faroepodcast.blogspot.com/

The Faroe Islands – maybe the most curious place left on earth

Before I made the video "Where Nature Rules" (which won 3rd prize at the international Film Award Ceremony Golden City Gate at ITB in Berlin 12. march 2009) I sketched up some thoughts on what it was I wanted the little film to express. In the film I narrowed the text down quite a lot - but here are the thoughts in full length.

Watch the video "Where Nature Rules" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-vBF2-mIo

.................................................................................

When your brain is overloaded. When you’re tired of noisy traffic. When you’re sick of heavily polluted air. When you’ve had enough of stressed out people everywhere around you. When you’re plagued by mosquitoes and a merciless sun. When you can’t stand being constantly sweaty and uncomfortable all the time. When you really need to breathe freely. When your only wish is to come to your senses and feel alive and grounded again.

Think of the Faroe Islands as the Land of Space... with an abundance of invigorating fresh air. Like coming home to a cool paradise with space to stretch your mind and body. To the Shangri-La of the north. To freedom.

Imagine a Land of Secrets. A little country hidden away from the rest of the world, where people have been living a simple life for centuries, almost in secrecy. But now – while technology makes the world smaller – the secret is about to be discovered. Imagine a group of magical mystical islands out there in the cool misty ocean, rising steeply, almost a thousand meters from the sea and up above the clouds.

Imagine that behind the steep dramatic cliffs you’ll find narrow fjords, sounds and green valleys with small, colorful cozy villages. Imagine this place never too hot – and never freezing cold. Always fresh. A mild and gentle country with mild and gentle people living in it.

Imagine this tranquil, peaceful, safe place to be - while on the other hand dramatic and challenging. One moment the weather is wild and roaring and the next beautiful and kind - colouring the landscape in a palette of colours you didn’t know even existed.


Imagine this place where the air is constantly changing between misty or rainy and crystal clear –– one minute boisterous and violent and the next dead calm. One moment nature barks fiercely at you – the next it hugs you gently and lovingly.


Imagine winds that at times in winter can reach velocities up to 60-80 meters per second creating huge waves that plunge into the cliffs sending explosions of foam sometimes hundreds of meters up in the air. Imaging riding these huge waves on a surf board.


Imagine a place where water is everywhere in some form or another. The sea is almost always in sight – when not hidden in fog – and on land endless rows of waterfalls flow pretty much everywhere down the mountainsides. Sometimes even upwards, depending on wind speed and wind direction.

Imagine one of the wettest and wildest countries on earth - the very place the weather gods chose to be their playground. A place where you can experience all seasons in one day. A challenging place where you’re never allowed to forget that nature is in control.


Imagine a place where you have to let go of control. Anticipate nothing but surprises. Imagine the thrill never really to know when to do what because it’s more up to nature’s mood than up to you. Storms or fog might always come in the way – sometimes for days – and you will simply not survive if you don’t adjust to nature.

Imagine how it trains your ability to be patient and to be fully aware of the instant – whatever it might bring. Just being present in this world here and now because you need to be prepared for the unpredictable – always.

Imagine this Land of Brooks and Waterfalls – a place where nature rules – not people. You can do nothing else but surrender. But if you’re patient nature will reward you with magnificent gifts and pleasant surprises when you least expect it – like beautiful sunny days.

Imagine standing on the highest point on these islands when the air is crystal clear and the valleys and the fjords under you are filled with milky, fluffy mist. Imagine the vastness above, under and around you – like standing on top of the whole world. Imagine being able to see the longest anywhere in the whole world…. endless rows of mountaintops to one side and to the other the never-ending ocean… and there - far, far away 500 km to the northwest - the top of a glacier rise just above the horizon – Vatnajøkull in Iceland which under certain circumstances according to Guinness Book of Records can be seen from the top of the highest mountain in the Faroes - Slættaratindur. Imagine how small and humble and thankful for being alive this view would make you feel.

Imagine a Land of Contradictions – a group of islands which in themselves are a contradiction. They shouldn’t even be there – it’s a miracle that they’re still standing. The mere presence of these wind-swept rocky cliffs is like an insisting vertical protest against the vast horizontal flatness of the ocean that surrounds them.

Imagine how fiercely these islands must have fought for millions of years with the forces of the mighty ocean. Imagine this everlasting battle that created the highest vertical sea cliffs in the whole world.

Imagine this archipelago – so tiny, and yet so strong and breathtakingly majestic. Vastness and closeness in one. So far away and yet just round the corner thanks to modern transportation. In the middle of nowhere in a huge ocean, and yet in the middle of everything right in the busy sea lane between two of the wealthiest continents in the world.

Imagine going to this Land of Nowhere – on the one hand perfect for stillness and meditation, and on the other hand, when you’re tired of sitting still, you can go surfing, boat racing, porbeagle shark fishing, rappelling, exploring caves, hiking pilgrimage trails, driving Harleys or go sightseeing from boats or helicopters to some of the most dramatic cliffs in the world.

Imagine finding a safe haven – a hideaway where you can escape from a stressed and overcrowded world and find that Land of Comfort you long for, far from a civilization gone mad, but not too far away. Just 1-2 hours’ flight from some of the big cities in Northern Europe – like Copenhagen and London. Imagine finding peace and tranquility like nowhere else in the world in this place where people still trust each other – actually the most crime-free place on earth according to statistics.

Imagine being able to combine all the comforts of civilization with the sense of being back in the past when the air was not polluted and the water still fresh. Imagine being able to feel what pure wild nature is all about – and at the same time be able to enjoy all the qualities of modern life.

Imagine a cozy colorful town where you can stroll in a shopping centre in the morning. Go hiking, sailing or fishing in the vicinity of the town in the afternoon. Sit in a café or a restaurant enjoying a good meal or a drink in the evening. And stroll by the sea in the light summer night, go to a rock concert or go dancing in a night club with fun people all night long. Doing pretty much the same as most people enjoy doing everywhere else – but in a unique Faroese way. Imagine one of the most modern countries in the world – yet ancient and pristine at the same time. Convivial and familiar - and yet so peculiar and mysterious.

Imagine a Land of Inspiration – a little country with only around 50.000 inhabitants, but still a whole country – a micro cosmos with everything a modern society requires. Now you can – more easily than ever – go to these fairy islands and experience how life unfolds here - the sea, the air, the birds, the sheep, the people, the music, the language, only spoken by about 70.000 people in the whole wide world... and so much more to discover. Imagine finding a whole world of surprises here. A rich culture with an amazing variety to offer.

Imagine a place that sings. A little fairyland riddled with all kinds of music where almost every single village has its own choir. Where the main town even has its own symphony orchestra of high quality which most people would consider impossible for a town with only 20.000 people. Imagine skilful locals playing, singing and dancing traditional folk ballads, jazz, classical, punk, rock, electronica…. you name it. The diversity is astonishing.

Imagine a certain vibrant energy to this place that inspires and boosts creativity – with a light and colours so special and a peace that touches your soul in such a way that many visiting painters, musicians, poets and other artists fall in love with it instantly and feel the urge to come back year after year – or even to live here permanently - just to be inspired.

Imagine a Land of Authenticity – a place where tourism has not become a big industry yet, so people are not yet tired of tourists. They still can afford to welcome each and everyone with heartfelt kindness and openness because the number of foreigners is still relatively small.

But… for how long will it remain so? It might be just a question of time before more and more people in the outside world will be aware of this hidden gem. It’s there now for people to experience. So when you feel overloaded. When the complexity of the modern world overwhelms you…

When you want to be safe from the restlessness in the rest of the world. When you dream of a simpler life in close contact with nature – but in a comfortable modern way. When you want it all – just in a much smaller scale. Remember then this almost secret place out there in the ocean, not too far away, that not many other people visit – nor have even heard of. Here you will find the simplicity and the safety you’re searching for.

It’s not a fairy tale. It exists. And it’s called the Faroe Islands – maybe the most curious place left on earth.

Elin Brimheim Heinesen, 2009

The photographs (by Janus Hansen, Ólavur Frederiksen, Daniele Photography and Yazzy Ouhilal) are the same as the ones I used in the video "Where Nature Rules".

Humans are like toilets!

I believe that humans are very much like toilets. People have to take so much shit.

Your feelings are like the water in the cistern. You need water to flush the shit out continuously, or else the shit will pile up inside you.

If too much time goes by and you don’t flush, the shit becomes too hard and stays where it is even if you try to flush. And then you need help to dig it out and get the flushing to work again…

The moral is: You cannot avoid taking shit but don't hold it in! Remember to flush it right away!

In other words: Do not hold your feelings inside. You need to cry. You need to laugh. Or else you’ll end up full of shit!

;-)

The Faroe Islands – an Adventurous Hideaway

By Elin Brimheim Heinesen, Former Managing Director of SamVit, the Faroese Tourist Board and Trade Council

Do you want to step aside from your usual routines, slow down and get away from a world that spins faster and faster? Do you want to trigger your imagination and creativity? Do you want to travel to the perfect place for coming to your senses and feeling alive? Then – go to the Faroe Islands!

According to National Geographic Traveler, the Faroe Islands are the most unspoilt islands in the world. Elin Heinesen, the managing director of the Faroese Tourist Board and Trade Council, reflects on future tourism development in the Faroe Islands.

What others say about us
When one of the worlds leading experts in nation branding, Simon Anholt, was asked by an editor from Bradt Travel Guides to contribute to a Travel Guide to Shangri La, a place of fiction, he said: “I consider the Faroe Islands to be the Shangri La of the 21st century!” It is not unusual to hear statements like this and like the one journalist Eric Campbell from the Australian TV-show ‘Foreign Correspondent’ said: “Remote and intriguing, they look like something out of a Norse fairy tale.” He also said: “The Faroe Islands could very well be the world’s next country!”. In a New York Times article in 2007 with the headline: “Into the Mystical Unreal Reality of the Faroe Islands”, the Faroe Islands were described as “the most curious place left on earth” and the journalist Stephen Metcalf described his impression such: “The Faroes are easily the most moodily beautiful place I have ever been”. Other expressions often heard are: “otherworldly” or “the Lord of the Rings Country” or even “the Grand Canyon of the North Atlantic”.

Rated best islands in the world
Although the Faroe Islands obviously are astonishingly beautiful to many, we still do not see our country included in too many travel catalogues. This is probably all about to change now that the Faroe Islands were rated in the National Geographic Traveler as the best and most appealing island destination out of a shortlist of 111 island communities in the world – ahead of the Azores, Bahamas, Hawaii, Iceland and a lot of other fantastic islands – something that has given the Faroe Islands priceless publicity. The result was reached by a panel of 522 travel experts in November 2007. Another survey will not take place for many years to come so we still hold the position. (Seehttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html)

Our goal: an eco-friendly sustainable tourism industry
At the Faroese Tourist Board we are definitely not interested in mass-tourism, though. We would rather attract appropriate amounts of money-spending people that want the perfect hideaway. It is our hope that our tourism industry will develop into a profitable, and at the same time sustainable, eco-friendly industry that does not destroy the wonderful nature and culture of these islands, but rather helps us preserve what we love the most. This is a very small country with a very small population and very limited economic resources; that is the main reason why we are not very well known yet. We do, however, have very rich natural and cultural resources.

Dangers we might face
Even if we have, you might say, challenging weather, we should not underestimate our attraction potential. I myself – as well as many people outside of the Faroes – think that the Faroe Islands have tremendous tourism potential, but the islands could also be very vulnerable to tourism overkill. We might ruin our chances of realising this great potential if we start to sell out too much too soon. That is why we should try our utmost to avoid mistakes, because the mistakes we make today could very quickly lead us to lose the very qualities that make us so special and attractive right now.

What's the attraction?
To once again illustrate the attraction of these islands and why I think that the number of tourists here in the Faroes might increase significantly in the future – here is how a group of surfers describe the Faroes: “Deserted beaches. Stunning scenery. Perfect waves. This is every surfers dream… Two years ago a group of surfers travelled north to the Faroe Islands. What they discovered stunned them: hundreds of miles of pristine, unexplored coastline; eighteen-hour-long surf days; a consistent flow of waves pushing in from the arctic. The stunning photographs Ouhilal returned with showed the Faroes as a kind of Hawaiian paradise in reverse where sand beaches were replaced by verdant grass, resort hotels were replaced by hundred-year-old cottages, and the only crowds were those of grazing sheep.”

Carelessness could destroy us
This is all good – and surfers might not be the worst tourists to attract. However, if influential audiences like surfers have become aware of our unique qualities, I’m sure others will notice us too. The buzz may be starting and we could soon see the beginnings of something resembling an invasion – not only of surfers, but others too. We don’t know for sure, but the present situation could change – even dramatically, like it did in Iceland some years ago.

Tourism is not a very lucrative industry in the Faroes yet. This makes it difficult to convince people in the tourism industry that we must be cautious. I’m afraid some people might be prepared to sell out to attract just anyone to achieve short-term profits. But this could backfire seriously in the long run. People are, of course, ‘hungry’ with the threat of an economic crisis hanging over their heads and this could make them careless.

Long term strategy
While I understand the urge and desire from some sections of the tourism industry, I believe we must take the necessary time to prepare, to make sure that we are doing the right things.
We at SamVit are trying to help the tourism industry in making long term strategies that will help people in the business attract the right tourists, so they can build businesses that are both lucrative and economically and environmentally sustainable. We are trying to spread the word by building strong networks with key persons all over the world – mostly tour operators and people from the media – that could help us as advisers and collaborators and help us appeal to and attract the right tourists. Tourism is, after all, the second largest industry in the Faroes even if it only accounts for 4% of the GDP; so we are also hoping that these people can help us in our efforts to get the public in the Faroes – ordinary people, politicians and the industry – to understand how important it is develop tourism in the wisest and most responsible way possible.

How do we preserve our best qualities?
We need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of tourism – the sooner the better. And we must do what we can to build up the most appropriate and stable form of tourism, develop the appropriate offers and attract not just any tourists, but the right tourists. By that I mean tourists who really appreciate our special qualities – our beautiful nature, our traditions and our distinctive culture – and are willing to spend their money here which we could invest in preserving our best attractions. We need to make sure that tourism will not take away from us the unique qualities we have right now, but instead add to what we already have in a way that helps us prosper while strengthening our best qualities and our integrity as a people.

Why isn't tourism in the Faroes big already?
You might ask: But if these islands are so wonderful - why isn’t there a lucrative tourism industry here already? The Faroe Islands are actually one of the least ‘touristy’ destinations left on earth. Although the Faroe Islands are not far from the European mainland (just a 2-hour flight from Copenhagen or London), this destination has until now been considered a little too remote for most people because the islands were not very accessible in the past. It is risky business for the transportation companies to open new or more frequent routes because so few live on the islands (only around 50,000). They cannot afford to wait for customers and so therefore only routes that are able to turn over a profit quickly are likely to be kept open. That has made it difficult to build up a more extensive tourism industry. This has, on the other hand, helped us keep our islands unspoiled – until now at least. And this might just turn out to be our best advantage, as it is.

New opportunities
Most travellers have also, until this day, mostly preferred to travel to places in the south, where they can lounge in the sun – but global travel trends now indicate that adventure travel is becoming increasingly popular. More and more people also want to travel up north to experience the beautiful and unspoiled nature and interesting culture that can be found there. People also travel further than they ever did before. It is also possible for us today, with new communication channels like the internet, to reach audiences we could not reach before. That means that our islands have suddenly become much more visible and interesting as a travel destination. And boy do we have nature and culture here that is worth travelling far for!

The perfect destination for adventurers
Now that the Faroe Islands have been discovered by the National Geographic Traveler and by surfers and others alike – and now that the islands have become more accessible than they ever were before – we can expect to see a lot more interest from travellers, especially if we use the right momentums and are effective in our marketing. There is great potential in attracting adventurous travellers interested in unspoilt authentic destinations right now – and fortunately, that is exactly what the Faroe Islands genuinely are.


Get an impression
See the National Geographic survey that placed the Faroes as the No. 1 Island Destination in the world: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html

See the video presentation: "Where Nature Rules" which was awarded 3rd prize in the international film competition "Golden City Gate" at the ITB Tourist Fair in Berlin 12 March 2009:
http://www.samvit.fo/media/Where_Nature_Rules_The_Faroe_Islands.wmv

See a very interesting Australian TV programme “Foreign Correspondent” about the Faroe Islands:http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/faroe_islands_200k.asx . Read the synopsis here:http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/s2050734.htm .

Read a very well-written article about the Faroe Islands in the New York Times here:http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03well.faroes.t.html

Faroe Islands at a Crossroads

A presentation held by Elin Brimheim Heinesen for Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Iceland, 23 May 2009

The Faroe Islands are at a crossroads. Do we want to be a modern globalised society or do we want to hold on to our traditional way of life? Or... is it possible to combine these two?

We must face the fact that even if the Faroes has the highest birth rate in Europe, this cannot quite compensate for the emigration from the islands. Our economic situation is not as bad as in many other countries, but the world economic crisis is taking its toll here as well, and unemployment rates and deficits of finances are increasing at the moment. We must cope with these problems. But there seems to be a bright light at the end of the tunnel. We’re constantly being told by outsiders that we are sitting on a gold mine, but most Faroese have just not realised how to utilise this gold yet...

Facing Great Challenges
It is a fact, though, that we, as it is, face great difficulties if we are reluctant to change. The population of the Faroes has not increased since the 80s. In fact, the number of young people and women on the islands is decreasing, because these people are moving out of the Faroes in growing numbers – most to the Danish mainland. If we hadn’t Europes highest birthrate of 2,6 children per couple we would really be in trouble.

We face great challenges, indeed. Unless we do something to attract younger people and women, our society could develop into a society only for elderly people and occasional visitors. If we want the Faroes to be a place that also attracts other people than just tourists in the summer and Faroese living abroad coming home for holidays, we need to tackle the challenge of globalisation in a wise and responsible way.

Need To Attract Women And Young People
The education level of the Faroese people has risen considerably in the last 30 years, but there is a lack of career-opportunities suitable for a well-educated workforce. The first challenge is to establish new industries that attract a more diverse and well-educated workforce – and not least, along with that, we must create an educational environment that attracts young students, perhaps from foreign countries as well. It is good that some young people leave to study elsewhere, but it is not good for society that every ambitious youngster leaves. We must be able to provide a satisfying livelihood for people of all ages and sexes and with different educations, so more people will want to live in the Faroes all year round.

While we are eager to move into the 21st century we still deeply value our old traditional ways of life in the Faroes. We don’t want development to totally destroy society as it is. Of course we want to keep and preserve the good things we already have for as long as possible. But they should not get in the way of development and keep us at a standstill, because that would cause more emigration of especially women and young people, which we so much need – especially if we want to reproduce and maintain our population level.

It is very important that we realise that losing these people is damaging to our society. And we will keep losing more and more of them if we’re not offering them new and modern challenges, which they crave. It is glaringly obvious that many of these people are not attracted to jobs in our traditional trade and industry. So perhaps it is high time that we start to prioritise a little differently than we have before.

The Fishing Industry
Fish and fish products is by far our greatest export. However, it is risky to be solely dependent on fishery which, among other things, is very susceptible to environmental changes and price fluctuations. But most people in the Faroes have been dependent on fishery or farming for centuries. This is what they know and understand. Fishery will and should still provide a significant part of our income, because the Faroes will always be an island community in the middle of a huge ocean full of fish, hopefully, but there is no reason not to explore innovation and development of alternative businesses as well. If not for any other reason then just to make sure that more women and young people also want to live here.

Must Develop New Business Opportunities
Tourism, for instance, is the second largest industry in the world and has a potential for a lot of jobs – in fact a huge variety of different jobs, that greatly appeal to especially young people and women that often like to take service jobs, creative jobs and other jobs where they get to work directly with or for people.

The Faroese have invested billions of Danish Kroner in equipment used for fishing. It is high time that we now invest more extensively in ‘equipment’ used for fishing tourists, because it is potentially a very profitable business from the mere fact that there are a lot more tourists available for catching out there than there are tons of fish! People should know that the value of a single tourist, for instance, is in fact comparable to the value of half a ton of cod.

But just as fish don’t jump ashore from the sea, tourists don’t just appear on their own initiative – maybe a few, but the vast majority doesn’t. We also need ‘equipment’ for fishing tourists. That means that resources must be made available for the development of products that attract tourists and for marketing the products so the tourists out there will know about their existence.

What Is The Attraction?
But do we have anything special to offer in comparison to other places? Well, many foreigners tell us that we are quite unique. In November 2007 the magazine National Geographic Traveler rated us as island destination no. 1 in the world. According to their panel of 522 travel experts, we are the best and most attractive islands in the world ahead of The Azores, Hawaii and the Bahamas and other fantastic island destinations. Weighing up environment, ecology and culture, the magazine placed the Faroes first for "integrity of place". This was a rating that gave this small country priceless publicity around the world and triggered an avalanche of media attention – at least in comparison with what we were accustomed to previously where football and pilot whaling were the only subjects the international media would want to write about.

Most Unspoilt Islands In The World
It turns out that some of our greatest advantages are, that we don't have McDonalds, we don't have Starbucks, we don't have Hilton. It seems that this is very much appreciated by our guests that we have escaped globalisation so far in that aspect. At the same time as people are living the modern life in the capital city, Tórshavn, where you can find four stars hotels and restaurants, cafés and nightlife, we’ve retained our primitive character in many aspects – especially out in the smaller villages. We’re rough and ready in some respects, such as the way we don’t yet have a highly developed hospitality industry and we haven’t taken what we do and turned it into a tourist simulacrum. We’re not trying to artificially recreate our past as Vikings to ‘please’ the tourists – we’re still truly living reminiscences of a Viking life built on ancient traditions of which some have survived all the way from Viking age.

A Competitive Advantage
You could say: We are the real thing! Although we have fantastic natural attractions, spectacular sceneries and wildlife, and lie as close as just two hours flight from metro poles like London and Copenhagen, we’re not ‘touristy’ at all in comparison with most other countries in the world.

These facts can in fact become our strongest selling points in the competition with other tourist destinations. It is extremely important in marketing to be able to claim difference. We are very lucky that we can honestly claim difference when it comes to being unspoilt – at least in comparison with other countries – especially in these days where pollution, climate change and global warming is very much on the agenda and everybody shouts about how sustainable and responsible they are in order to get a competitive advantage.

But we are in fact a little bit ahead because we know exactly how to live in balance with nature in a sustainable way, because we’ve done that forever. But we don’t shout about it, because it has always been like that and we hardly even notice it ourselves. If we want to keep this advantage I think it is absolutely crucial that we make ourselves aware of our distinctive qualities, and we should be very cautious not to jeopardise these qualities – and make sure that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water in carelessness!

Need To Keep The Balance
We have the capacity to increase the number of tourists twice, maybe three times more than we have today – and still remain unspoilt. But in my opinion, we should not aim for greater numbers than that. Right now, I know that there are people in the tourism industry in the Faroes that are quite worried, because tourism is slack – especially the passenger transport companies and the bigger hotels, because they need to fill their seats, cabins or hotel beds to keep their businesses running. They are dissatisfied with the fact that we haven't managed to get more tourists to come. They have started to believe that maybe our islands aren’t that attractive after all.

But we should not underestimate our attraction potential. What we have to offer is rare and in demand out there somewhere. It’s just up to us to cultivate the right offers and to reach out for the right market. Information travels very fast and widely today and we will put in our best efforts to make the Faroes better known for exactly the qualities that we know are in demand. When people out there will know about us, and they will eventually, a whole other scenario could become reality, maybe all of a sudden, if the world economic crisis turns around. International travel experts have foreseen this and have therefore for quite a while been recommending that we should prepare ourselves. They say the tourists will come. It's not a question of whether they will come or not, it's a question of when.

Turn Disadvantages To Advantages
Our remote location, our doubtful meteorological conditions and the relatively difficult, fairly expensive and not too frequent access to the islands, which in itself scares many people off, might perhaps be the best attraction of them all for some people, because it makes these people able almost to have these islands to them selves. And for this they would be willing to pay a lot of money.

Maybe we should stop trying to rush into mass tourism where we never will be able to compete anyway. We should instead put our efforts in attracting not just anyone, but the right people that value and respect us for what we are and what we have, and would be willing to pay for the experience, instead of attracting people that consume our country the cheapest way possible as if it was only meant for their amusement like some kind of Disneyland.

There is no need for us to adapt our country to the needs of the kind of visitors that strain our nature and culture, in fact just harming the tourism industry in the long run, and thus compromise our integrity as if we were only exhibits in an anthropological museum. We must do this right. It is, however, of course important, in the process of analysing and finding out what to do next, to listen to what other people – foreigners – have to say about us and look at what they value here. What is it that they find attractive? And we should act accordingly – but in a way where we make sure that there is a balance between what we want and what they want. I think that it is evident already that it is possible to combine those things relatively easily, if we choose the right strategy.

Nature and Culture Tourism
It is a fact that there is increasing world wide interest in responsible tourism such as green tourism, geo- or ecotourism. This kind of tourism is also the fastest growing type of tourism in the world right now with a growth of 20 to 34 % a year in recent years. It is obvious that it pays to focus on this kind of tourism because these tourists spend much more money in the local community than the usual ‘mass tourists’ do. These tourists don't want to spend money on international hotels or restaurant chains but rather on local restaurants, bed and breakfasts and taverns.

These tourists are also very much interested in local culture and tradition. They can even contribute to revive some of our traditions that are about to disappear. They would even come here only for that particular purpose – to revive traditions like rappelling and catching birds at the sea cliffs or learning to build the Faroese boat in the old Viking way, just to mention a few examples.

I think that one of the greatest assets the Faroese people have, is their traditions for handicrafts, musicality and creativity. We have a very inspiring nature and climate – very changeable – which many claim really boosts creativity and creates a humble attitude towards overpowering facts of life, to which we are confronted everyday here on our islands. No wonder that the Brits that occupied us during World War 2 named us the ‘Land of Maybe’. And no wonder that the amount of magnificent creative artworks is pouring out of the islands in impressive amounts. But the people here are not shouting about it because it comes so natural. Most of the world, therefore, never becomes aware of all the hidden gems that can be found here.

Come And Get Inspired In A Safe Destination
What can we do about it? How can we use these resources to benefit us and others? Nowadays, many people in the western world build their livelihoods on their ability to be creative. Many people also have a need for spiritual fulfilment that they don’t get in their everyday life in overcrowded stressful big cities. There is a great possibility for us to meet these demands and still hold on to our authenticity. We could build a strong experience economy on that. Millions of people out there might very well need input and inspiration of the sort we have to offer – and in order to get that, they need what they don’t get at home. They need simplicity, security, peace of mind and to be refreshed in an environment that inspires creativity and spirituality.

As it happens, the Faroes are just perfect for exactly that! The Faroes have a lot to offer in this respect! And this is not just me claiming that – this is what I hear an ever-increasing number of travel experts and other visitors say time and again.

More and more people in the world seem to search for something special to take an interest in. And many consider the Faroes very special once these islands have caught their attention. We can offer a more unspoiled less polluted society and a challenging and literally breathtaking nature than most of our competitors can – and still with all the modern conveniences and comfort that makes people feel safe.

The fact that a lot of people consider the world an unsafe place to be these days, especially after 9-11, makes people somewhat nostalgic. They long for a backwardness towards something that once felt safer. The Faroes is a place that is quite safe in that respect. Actually it is the most crime-free place on earth according to recent research/statistics – and it seems to appeal to people for that reason also. This is something we can use to our advantage.

Why Aren't There More Tourists?
You might ask: But if these islands are so wonderful - why isn’t there a lucrative tourism industry here already? Although the Faroe Islands are not far from the European mainland, this destination has until now been considered a little too remote for most people because the islands were not very accessible in the past. It is risky business for the transportation companies to open new or more frequent routes because so few live on the islands (only around 50,000). They cannot afford to wait for customers and so therefore only routes that are able to turn over a profit quickly are likely to be kept open. That has made it difficult to build up a more extensive tourism industry. This has, on the other hand, helped us keep our islands unspoiled – until now at least.

It always boils down to the same problem: Because we are a very small country we don’t have a lot of money on our hands. Even if we can afford to give the Icelanders a comparatively big loan and build extremely expensive sub sea tunnels, our tourism marketing budgets are very small in comparison with our competitors’ budgets. Politicians tend not to have the proper understanding of how huge the potential is in tourism, which means that they don’t invest in it. So we will probably need investment from outsiders to kick this off – or... we really need to be creative in our efforts to tell the world out there that there is something valuable for them here. Communication skills are therefore absolutely essential for us!

New Marketing Opportuinites
Fortunately for us the internet is revolutionising marketing today. It is possible now to reach out much further than it was just a few years ago. We can't afford expensive marketing campaigns anyway, so we need to target our marketing to niche markets. And because we can reach much further out, niche markets have become much bigger. I am absolutely sure, that there is much to be gained by focusing on niche markets that demand the qualities I have mentioned before in this presentation. But how do we reach the right people?

It is a fact that big international companies have realised that traditional marketing is not as effective any longer. Traditional advertising campaigns seem to have very little effect when it comes to reaching people under the age of 35. New ways of marketing are therefore on their way instead. Today, even big companies like Nike are using “word of mouth marketing”, social media like Facebook and YouTube and ambassador strategies quite extensively. They have realised a long time ago that this is a very effective way of marketing and put a lot of effort to it.

Effective marketing has very much to do with networking – to create attention by being well connected to key persons around the world that could be your ambassadors – especially influential individuals or groups – people that other people look up to, like musicians, footballers and surfers, for instance. It is also important to be connected to people that really want to engage themselves – people that, for instance, have fallen in love with our islands – especially journalists and tour operators who are specialised in destinations, subjects or themes where the Faroe Islands are a perfect match.

It is about lighting small fires here and there by telling interesting stories that are easy for people to retell to others. We have an increasing number of ‘ambassadors’ that want to help us make the world aware of our country and its qualities. We can of course use more ambassadors, so we should make an effort to get connected to the right people that could help us build exactly the type of tourism that we want and keep feeding our connections with good interesting stuff that they would want to tell others as well.

Event making is also very effective. Cultural events seem to be very good icebreakers because many people – and not least the media – are interested in music and art and are willing to travel far to experience something unique. If they like it, they will hype it – and the Faroes gets more publicity. Focusing our efforts to create such events could also pave the way for more knowledge about the Faroes out there. We already have some success stories to build on and we should continue this work and encourage the Faroese people to engage in more event making.

We might not have that much money, but we have lots of good cards on our hands. If we play them well and use all the momentums, that we get along the way, wisely, we could create grounds for new profitable industries and a prosperous future for the people living on our wonderful islands.

Celebrity visits generate publicity

With former US president Bill Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore in the country’s guest book, international media coverage could be causing the Faroes to emerge from obscurity—clearing the way for effective nation branding. Búi Tyril talks to Elin Heinesen, Managing Director of SamVit, Faroe Islands Enterprise, and others.

By Búi Tyril, Faroe Business Report 2008

When a panel of experts with National Geographic Traveler ranked the Faroe Islands as the world’s most appealing island destination, it was a convenient piece of news for the Faroe Islands Enterprise (SamVit), the merged Faroe Islands Trade Council and Faroe Islands Tourist Board.

The special appeared a few months after last summer’s visit of former US President Bill Clinton, and was in all likelihood a direct result of increased awareness of the country. President Clinton arrived with former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to deliver the keynote speeches at a Tórshavn gathering of businesspeople and officials.

“This is the biggest news to hit the Faroe Islands since Christianity arrived about a thousand years ago,” Canada’s Toronto Star commented when the new broke that Mr Clinton had accepted the invitation from the House of Industry.

One year on, a search engine query on the phrase [Bill Clinton Faroe Islands] returned 21,100 results.

“That’s the point,” said SamVit managing director Elin Heinesen. “The Clinton-Blix event was a huge success and it’s still having a tremendous impact. The effects of such stories need time to filter through but… Well, as you see, this one received extensive media coverage.”

Next move: Get Nobel Peace Prize winner, former Vice President Al Gore featured at a conference on the subject of climate change, marine environment and energy. As this publication went to press, the TransAtlantic Climate Conference was to be held in Tórshavn on 7th and 8th April, featuring Mr Gore as keynote speaker, plus a host of experts from several countries.

“A new initiative focusing on climate changes in the Atlantic Ocean and climate challenges related to the ocean,” the TACC 08 was aimed “particularly at researchers, business people, civil society representatives and politicians in the North Atlantic region and the Nordic countries,” said the organizers—Bitland, House of Industry, SamVit, and NORA.

The idea as envisaged by SamVit: International media could be about to discover the Faroes and should be encouraged to follow through on stories related to the place—which many of them are happy to do as they’ll have a natural interest in catering to their audience’s growing taste for things out of the ordinary.

“What we offer is in demand out there,” Ms Heinesen said. “According to the latest reports on population trends, people living in big cities, for the first time in recorded history, now outnumber people living in rural areas. We’re noting an increased interest from foreign journalists, scientists, businesspeople, and tourists. I think what some of them see in our country is something missing elsewhere, maybe something that used to be there for them but disappeared somewhere along the way. So what the Faroes has is a mix that can bring back that feeling of serenity and yet fascinate at the same time.”

Clearly, whereas mass tourism is not what we’re looking at, business travel and ecotourism are.

Ranking the Faroe Islands on the top of its 111-long list of island destinations—ahead of the Azores and Lofoten with Shetland and Iceland trailing—Traveler quoted its experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship on the Faroes: “Lovely unspoiled islands—a delight to the traveler.”

The magazine added: “Remote and cool, and thus safe from overcrowding, the autonomous archipelago northwest of the Shetlands earns high marks from panelists for preservation of nature, historic architecture, and local pride.” Another quote from the panelists: “Spectacular waterfalls and harbors.”

The feature entitled “111 islands” warned against “tourism overkill” and other perils. “The world’s most appealing destinations—islands—are the ones most prone to tourism overkill,” it said. “Islands symbolize vacation. Escape! Their very insularity makes them more attractive than a comparable piece of real estate on the mainland. They are worlds unto themselves—their own traditions, ecosystems, cultures, landscapes. That’s what attracts us. But as microworlds, islands are also more vulnerable to population pressure, climate change, storm damage, invasive species, and now, tourism overkill.

Traveler and its National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations conducted the fourth annual Destination Scorecard survey, aided by George Washington University, “to see how the integrity of islands around the world is holding up. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship donated time to review conditions in these 111 selected islands and archipelagos.”

Said Ms Heinesen: “The coverage we’ve received will doubtlessly attract more tourists. But beyond that, it helps us in terms of nation branding.”

It’s all in the mix

Interview with Ms. Elin Brimheim Heinesen, Managing Director of SamVit - Faroe Islands Enterprise

By Búi Tyril, Faroe Business Report 2008

Their outlook is increasingly global yet people in the Faroes are proud of their national identity—after all, the unique Faroese culture is alive and kicking, their islands are truly beautiful, and their fishing is the envy of the world.

Rumor has it that the man credited for introducing the term ‘nation branding’ not long ago called the Faroe Islands “the Shangri La of the 21^st century.” Assuming there is verifiable substance behind the alleged statement, a first question to follow would be: In using such words about this very small country, what does an international authority on branding of places mean to imply?

According to the Economist, “Simon Anholt is one of the world’s leading advisers to governments who wish to build global brands.” Now that does lend a touch of class to whatever he has to say about the competitiveness of any place. The man behind “the first analytical ranking of the world’s nation brands”—the Anholt Nation Brands Index—has in fact developed a method of surveying tens of thousands of consumers in dozens of countries on their “perceptions of the cultural, political, commercial and human assets, investment potential and tourist appeal of each nation.”

True, as a brand, the Faroes may still have a long way to go. It takes financial muscle to run sizeable marketing campaigns. But something is on the move, says Elin Heinesen, managing director of SamVit, also known as the Faroe Islands Enterprise.

“Globalization appears to be an unstoppable megatrend that brings a lot of great things,” Ms Heinesen says. “Its influence penetrates everyday life in the Faroes as well as everywhere else; but it nonetheless poses many challenges for communities around the world. One of the major problems with modern life as experienced in big cities is the eradication of cultural differences—the lack of diversity undermines people’s sense of uniqueness and distinction. In this context, the Faroes is becoming attractive because of our special combination, somehow representing the opposite of what many city dwellers are growing weary of, and yet exciting at the same time.”

Once you’re there, the funny thing about this closely knit, self governing community in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is first and foremost its constantly manifested, stunning contrasts that keep coming at you.

Starting with road infrastructure, the 48,000 strong island nation enjoys building roads and submarine tunnels for billions of Danish krones (hundreds of millions of euros). What kind of proportions would that translate into in your home country? You do the math.

You may try to touch upon any controversial subject in the Faroes; succeed (difficult for anyone not local) and you’ll have people going on forever over peanuts. But ask anyone for a helping hand—no, don’t even ask—and you’ll be treated to genuine generosity of the kind that will make you feel like home.

Again, expect surprise.

Now, try to push a Faroese for a decision on some relatively important issue, something that bureaucrats elsewhere would spend months on, and you’ll be amazed at the most prompt expediency you’ve ever seen. Take another angle and ask any Faroese manager what his or her time schedule will look like over the next few weeks, and the most likely answer: “Well, it depends…”

Hence the old nickname, the Land of Maybe. But again, note the contradicting combination of spontaneous swiftness and ready submission to the force majeure that be.

“The Maybe factor has been on the retreat for half a century but it’s undeniably still there,” Ms Heinesen says. “The weather still decides a lot, and the ocean is still by far our most important source of income.”

Indeed, fishing and the ocean is the very life of the Faroe Islands, yet the majority of the population is employed in private and public services. Then there’s the arts and crafts, Ms Heinesen points out.

“Our traditions in arts and crafts are held in high esteem and I believe their continuance is extremely important,” she says.

“There are strong currents driving opportunities in our direction—foreigners see something new, different and unspoiled in our culture. At the same time, we have up and coming Faroese music artists gaining audiences around the world, and the same goes for several clothing designers.”

So while Internet technology and universal awareness of global issues are placing these islands firmly on the world map, the Faroese are themselves keen on keeping their cultural balance intact—as well as the ecological one—and learning to capitalize on it. Otherwise, a community entirely dependent on the sustainable harvesting of its marine resources would neither survive nor prosper.