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Tourism in the Faroe Islands
Issue Date: 5/24/2004
Item No.: PPA998990
Value: 14,50
Each year the European postal collaboration
under the auspices of PostEurop makes arrangements to publish joint European
postage stamps with varying themes. This year's European stamps have tourism as
their common theme.
Tourism in the Faroes is comparatively recent
in spite of the fact that there have been regular services by sea since the old
days. In the 1930s big passenger liners began to call at the Faroes, especially
at the capital, Tórshavn. This led to prominent people in the city to get
together to arrange excursions and similar events so that tourists could see
more of the islands.
All tourism ceased with the advent of World War
II, but after the war new, younger people made an appearance and joined forces
to receive the growing number of visitors. They established “Føroya
Ferðamannafelag” and, when Hotel Hafnia was built in 1950, the association was
provided with an office on the ground floor.
With respect to tourism in the Faroes in more
recent times it is impossible to ignore Sigurd Simonsen (born 1919). He began
working at the office in 1956, and in 1959 he published his first “Travel
Guide” which contained information on all regular services to the Faroes,
regular services to and from foreign destinations, ticket prices, and a list of
hotels with prices for meals and accommodation.
In 1963 tourism took a major step forward.
During World War II the Faroes were occupied by British troops and they built
an airport at Vágar, which was completed in 1943. When the war ended and the
British troops left the islands, the airport was left to the management of the
Faroese Lagting (The Faroese Representative Council). For what was almost the
next 20 years the airport was not used and the hangar that the British had
built fell into disrepair. But regular air services to and from the Faroes
began in 1963. Two men from Sørvágur, Hugo Fjørðoy and Lars Larsen in
collaboration with Icelandair, were responsible for arranging flights twice a
week during the summer months: Reykjavík - Vágar -
In 1987 the Faroese company Atlantic Airways
was also given a concession to use the route so there were now two airlines that
could compete for passengers. This naturally resulted in a major price
reduction as well as an increase in the number of passengers. The economic
crisis in the Faroes at the beginning of the 1990s led to a considerable fall
in the number of passengers, but this soon grew again and today approximately
160,000 passengers travel via
In 1983 the Smyril Line acquired a car ferry
from
This growing activity meant that tourism had to
be organised in a legal framework and the public authorities came into the
picture in 1984. In 1990 the Lagting passed the Act on “Ferðaráð Føroya”, which
was renewed in 2001.
The Faroes are divided into six districts, each
of which has an information office (there are two on Eysturoy), to help
tourists. The districts are:
1.
Norðoyggjar
with an information office at Klaksvík
2.
Eysturoy
with information offices at Runavík and Fuglafjørður
3.
Streymoy,
Nólsoy, Hestur, and Koltur with an information office at Tórshavn
4.
Vágar
and Mykines with an information office at Miðvágur
5.
Sandoy,
Skúvoy, and Dímun with an information office at Sandur
6.
Suðuroy
with an information office at Tvøroyri
Among the very popular activities arranged by
the information offices are rambles in the distinctive Faroese countryside and
sailing trips along the bird cliffs. The most well known tourist ship is
probably “Norðlýsið” (northern lights), which is owned by Hotel Føroyar.
The motif on the DKK 6.50 stamp is a view of
the west side of Hestur with a deep gorge and a towering cliff. Close to this
area it is possible to sail by dinghy into a grotto where the acoustics are so
unique that concerts have been held there.
The motif on the other stamp at DKK 8.00 is a
view of Stóra Dímun with tourists walking along the beach. “Norðlýsið” lies at
anchor while people are ferried from ship to shore in a rubber dinghy.