No cruise ships at ólavsøka

An influx of thousands of tourists at ólavsøka would not fit in with the spirit of the national holiday, according to the head of the City Council’s industry committee.

Bogi Andreasen says that after a few months of discussing the matter, the City Council has decided to prohibit foreign cruise ships from docking at the Port of Tórshavn during the festivities, which take place on July 28 and 29.

Local traditions ‘fade away’

“In the past couple of years, thousands of tourists have arrived in Tórshavn during ólavsøka, and this significantly changed the traditional atmosphere of our national holiday, where most locals are dressed in their national costumes,” he says.

“Many locals have told us that when all these tourists, often wearing bright raincoats and big rucksacks, suddenly flood our streets and usually only stay for a few hours, it somehow blunts the spirit of our national holiday.”

Andreasen is keen to point out that tourists are of course always welcome here, but a sudden influx of thousands during the Faroese national holiday is not appropriate.

Translated by prosa.fo