Saksun’s new sustainable tourism initiative

Saksun is packed with tourists throughout the summer months, and that causes massive disruptions to the local community.

So say Saksun farmers André Kruse and Jóhan Jógvansson, who have introduced a new plan aimed at making sure the village’s 11 residents can live as normally as possible during the summer season.

“Many of the tourists seem to know no boundaries. They do whatever they like and go wherever they want. It can get a bit too intrusive at times,” says Kruse.

“We have been working on some measures which we hope will help get this under control.”

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Part of the new sustainability plan, scheduled to be fully implemented by next summer, consists of removing the controversial toll gate on the path towards the ever-popular beach.

The plan is to replace the gate with a small house or a shed, which will act as an information centre for people visiting the village.

“The information centre staff will be charging tourists from abroad for access to the beach, while Faroese residents will be given free access,” says Kruse.

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”Visitors to the village will also be informed about what is acceptable and what is not. This may sound a bit harsh, but we feel it is a necessary measure to sustain the well-being of our local community.”

Other changes will also be made. In general, the plan is to add more structure to tourism in Saksun.

“When you impose rules on tourists, you should give them something in return. We are working on some new services, including opening a small store where visitors can buy food, etc..”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.