Our
strengths:
PURITY, AUTHENTICITY AND UNIQUENESS
By Elin Heinesen, Managing Director of SamVit –
Faroe Islands Enterprise.
Tourism is now the fastest-growing industry in the
Faroe Islands. We therefore need to prepare to meet increasing demands. Our
strategy is to build on our strengths and to focus on developing a lucrative
tourism which at the same time is sustainable and does not affect our nature
and culture in a negative way.
As part of a new political strategy the Faroese
Government decided to merge the Trade Council and Tourist Board in the
beginning of this year. This was done in the realisation of the fact that
development of trade and tourism can depend on each other in many ways. This
new organisation was named SamVit – Faroe Islands Enterprise, and in May
they appointed me, Elin Heinesen, as managing director of the organisation.
Unspoiled Territory to Explore
What advantages do the Faroe Islands have as a travel destination? The fact
that our country is a small archipelago in the middle of the big ocean in
the periphery of western society makes us quite unique and special. Many
consider islands in the ocean to be exotic and romantic by default. And
being special means a lot these days where we see tourists looking more and
more for special activities and cultural, adventurous or spectacular
experiences rather than just lazing in the sun. It seems that people are
starting to turn their eyes to the north rather than the south. Maybe it is
because people feel safer travelling north than south these days. And since
the northern countries have seen far less of mass tourism, there is more
unspoiled territory to explore.
We Mustn’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water
So in a way, the Faroes sell themselves as a
tourist destination, but since we have not really developed a real tourism
industry yet, it is essential that we do our best to meet this
ever-increasing demand. However, it is also very important that we emphasise
sustainable tourism and avoid the negative impact of mass tourism. We must
be very careful not to ‘loose our soul’ in our efforts to build a lucrative
tourism industry, because it is our purity, authenticity and uniqueness that
gives us a competitive advantage.
Tourism Creates Ground for Other Industries
In the Faroe Islands today we are very
dependent on our export of fish products, but we cannot go on counting
solely on fishery as a main source of income. The fishing industry can be
very unreliable. World market prices vary a lot and right now we are
experiencing that some species of fish, which have been important resources,
are simply disappearing from the sea. The question whether it is because of
global warming or something else remains to be answered.
Under any circumstances we really need to stimulate
growth in other fields and develop other kinds of industries. Opening up the
Faroe Islands as a tourist destination is one of our goals, because the
tourist industry can lead to so much more and create grounds for other
industries as well.
A New Course for the Tourism Industry
It is very important to organise and improve
the services on offer in this country and try to inspire and develop ideas
for more services. On the one hand we must develop new services and
activities and, on the other hand, increase bed capacity, because demand is
surpassing the amount of activities and accommodations on offer for
visitors. The Faroese do not have a long tradition for a travel industry as
such, so we need to make people in the Faroes more aware of the fact that
they can earn a living from tourism. SamVit has set out to improve this and
many other things that affect our international relations.
The Internet Plays a Vital Role
In order to achieve our goals, Internet
marketing should play a vital role. People are no longer so dependent upon
travel agencies to plan their trip; this can now be done in your own time on
your computer screen by means of the Internet. And more and more people seek
such information of their own accord. It is essential that we work more
thoroughly on market segmentation and make relevant interactive functions
available on the internet in our future marketing efforts. We are working
right now on developing portals on the internet which will target both local
networks in the Faroes and potential customers.
The Faroese travel industry needs to start thinking of
the Internet as an integral part of their marketing strategy and show the
world what they have to offer. At the moment, a wealth of information is out
there in the middle of nowhere, but it should be in the middle of
everything. That is why we’re already working on developing various new
internet marketing strategies. In principle, a Faroese website carries the
same weight on the internet as, for instance, an American one. Until
recently, you were unlikely to find any material about the Faroes at your
local travel agency. Today the Faroes, like everything else, are just a
click away.
But to make people in the outside world aware of our
websites we, of course, have to have effective strategies. This is a very
small country and our budgets are equally small – so we must know how to get
attention in a way that is not too costly. We have to rely heavily on
editorial mentioning, so we work very hard to build up a contact network
with journalists all over the world that might be interested in the Faroe
Islands – and give them something to write home about.
Inspired by the Irish Model
As for strategies regarding the strengthening
of tourism as an industry, the Irish tourism model has been a good source of
inspiration for us. At the FlyFaroe 2007 convention this spring, travel
writer Eoghan Corry spoke about the recent rise of Irish tourism. He
explained how the primitive folk image of Ireland was turned into a
strength. The Irish simply realised the potential of what they could offer
and they soon started utilising these strengths. As an example, Irish folk
music and dance, which once was heard and seen only in the country, are now
lucrative global industries.
But what exactly did they do? In 1987, the Irish
Government started an economic reform in which corporate taxes were reduced
from 33% to 10%. This immediately attracted foreign investment, which in
turn acted as a catalyst for Irish tourism. One consequence of this reform
was that people started opening their homes to foreign travellers and making
a business out of it. This led to a great increase in bed capacity in hotels
and B&Bs, and tourist numbers started rocketing. The fact that people could
get in contact with the local people in this way, along with the slightly
primitive image the Irish projected, has led to a lucrative tourism
industry, which now contributes greatly to the national economy.
Our Cultural Heritage as an Attraction
The Irish people themselves also received
input from the visitors, so everyone was a winner. Expanding the range of
B&Bs also proved essential in breathing new life into the smaller,
peripheral villages. For many years, Irish tourism had seen mainly
backpackers with limited travel budgets. In order to attract the more
wealthy travellers, the tourist board set up campaigns aimed specifically at
mature and wealthy people. By utilising their rich cultural heritage they
managed to attract more differentiated demographics.
It seems obvious to me that the Faroes can benefit
from doing this too. We share many of the Irish characteristics in this
respect, and we can easily make this an industry where many local people can
earn a living just like the Irish. So we are working on making an
advertising campaign next year informing people about the benefits of
housing tourists in their own homes. Simultaneously we’re trying to
influence the political system so that these people will receive some tax
incentives by doing so.
The Real Picture is Rough and Dramatic
For many years, a visit to the Faroe Islands
meant peace and tranquillity, or at least that’s what the literature
indicated with its sunny, peaceful and polished landscape pictures. But it
seems that peace and tranquillity – or polished landscape pictures – are not
always the best selling points in tourism marketing campaigns for the Faroe
Islands. In fact, peace and tranquillity often equal boredom in many
people’s eyes – probably precisely the people who really need peace and
tranquillity the most – stressed-out people in big cities and metro poles.
But they might not realise that – not until they experience in flesh and
blood what peace and tranquillity really means. Peace and tranquillity is
probably not the main reason why people want to come here. Most people seem
more concerned by what there is to do while they’re here. They want a
variety of activities to choose from.
And they don’t necessarily find the polished picture
of the Faroe Islands attractive. The real picture is also, in fact, much
more rough and dramatic. For example, when foreign photographers come here,
the resulting pictures are typically of misty or stormy and rough
landscapes. So why not make that the attraction. I think we have been
promoting the wrong image of our country. No doubt about it, this is a
beautiful country, and most of the people who come here know it. But that’s
no longer enough. People need to know about the real Faroe Islands – and
they don’t want to sit back and watch: they want to feel alive and vibrant.
In other words, they want exciting experiences.
Sea Angling – an Exciting Activity on Offer
There are plenty of activities on offer for
tourists, but SamVit and other players on the tourism field are working hard
to introduce even more. For example, sea angling has become very popular of
late. Local fishermen take tourists out on their boats and the tourists have
the opportunity to taste the Faroese fisherman’s life and catch their own
fish. Afterwards, they are offered a nice meal made from the fish they
caught.
Halibut, porbeagle sharks, good-sized haddock...
they're all here in the nutrient-rich waters of the Faroe Islands. UK's main
fishing operator, Kings Angling Holidays is convinced and UK's largest Sea
Angling magazine "Sea Angler" who visited the Faroe Islands in June has a
clear view: As more and more skippers start to specialise in sport fishing
and more anglers visit these wonderful islands, only then will the full
sport fishing potential of this excellent destination be discovered.
Unforgettable Experiences on the Faroes
Some offers have existed for many years. Worth mentioning are the tours
to the magnificent Vestmannabjřrgini, that have been among the favourites
with tourists for a long time. In a small boat, people sail past massive
cliffs rising from the sea – an experience which few will ever forget.
Another classic excursion is the “concerto grotto”,
where musicians and visitors go on a boat trip into one of the deep caves
under the islands. Once inside, the music starts, and the natural sounds and
unique acoustics of the caves are used as integral parts of the music.
But new offers are on their way. Sea angling is – as I
said – about to become an established activity on offer, while many other
activities are still just good ideas and need further development.
Extreme Tourism and Ecotourism on their Way
For some years now, some tourists have come to
the Faroes to enjoy some of the more unusual niche activities, such as
diving in sub-sea caves, but this has not yet developed into an established
service on offer. A couple of months ago, Faroese TV interviewed some
American surfers who had come to our islands to try our waves. They were
amazed that no-one seemed to have noticed the potential for surfing on the
islands. Other extreme sports such as rock climbing and base jumping are
also possible offers we could develop. These activities are not yet part of
the mainstream offers to visitors, but this is another area of interest to
SamVit.
There are other specialised forms of tourism on the
horizon. Ecotourism, for instance, lies close to our hearts. TIES, The
International Ecotourism Society, defines ecotourism as, “Responsible travel
to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being
of local people.” Ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing forms of tourism
today. With all the unspoiled scenery in Faroe Islands, and with tourist
numbers increasing every year, it is of utmost importance that we do
everything we can to prevent the negative effects of mass tourism. So
ecotourism will be, and already is, a priority for Faroese tourism in the
future.
All in all – we can expect a great increase in the
number of tourists over the next few years, so we must prepare. That is
exactly what we’re trying to do, and we’re very excited about it.
Get More Information here:
www.faroeislands.com
www.visit-faroeislands.com
www.samvit.fo
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