The North Atlantic archipelago Faroe Islands is taking remote tourism to a whole new level.
You can now, for the first time, explore the islands with a remotely controlled local tour guide. You can hike, take a boat, ride a horse, or even pilot a helicopter above strikingly beautiful landscapes – everything from the comfort of your couch. Quite thrilling, right?
The Faroe Islands is located 200 mi (320 km) north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland. The island nation, which is governed by Denmark, has a population of around 50,000 but annual tourism doubles that number. The Faroe Islands was expecting even a higher figure in the upcoming years but considering the current global situation regarding COVID-19, the Government asked tourists to refrain from traveling here until 30 June at the earliest. Anyhow, the Faroese adapted quickly to the situation and developed the innovative remote-traveling tool, the first of its kind.
How does it work?
The unique virtual tours promise homebound travelers the possibility to control where and how they explore, from an on-the-spot perspective. Using just a simple joypad you can tell your guide when to turn, run, walk, or even jump. No, they won’t jump off from high cliffs (or do anything dangerous for that matter,). They will simply follow your instructions and show you around, acting as your eyes, ears, and body. If you want to get fast, you can ask your guide to jump on a horse, in a boat, or even in a helicopter. The whole experience sounds like an exciting real-life computer game!
Your main character – an authentic Faroese islander – will be equipped with a professional live video camera through which they’ll stream the whole journey directly on your screen. All you need is a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone and you’re ready to go.
The tours happen regularly (at least once / week) and last for at least one hour. During this time, each person participating can take turns to the controller.
What to see?
The islands nation is famous for its verdant green valleys and unspoiled picturesque villages, surrounded by dramatic mountains. During spring, you will be able to witness the rebirth of nature and there is one thing very particular to the islands; sheep peacefully minding their business with their little lambs on the grassy slopes. You won’t miss them, there are at least 30.000 more sheep living here than people.
Among the main sightseeing attractions of the 18 Faroe Islands are the Mulafossur Waterfall (Vágar Island), the Cleft Of Gjogv (Eysturoy Island) , the Skansin Fortress, which you can find in the capital city, Tórshavn (Streymoy Island) and the cliff lake Sørvágsvatn (Vágar Island). The dramatic coast around Vestmanna is definitely worth seeing too, best by taking a boat from Streymoy Island. For more inspiration about what you can see during the remote tour, we recommend visiting the official Visit Faroe Islands website or asking their team for suggestions directly online.
Caught your curiosity? To experience the Faroe Islands as a virtual tourist through a local, book your tour here. You can also see some of the tours that have been implemented already here.
