Due to the large number of tourists visiting the Faroe Islands, farmers have started asking for fees to visit private lands.
Every year, the Faroe Islands receive roughly 110,000 tourists, despite the country having only 55,000 inhabitants.
Many of these tourists visit destinations with tricky geography, which cause accidents. Because of this, farmers are asking visitors for a fee to explore these sites with a guided service to prevent any dangers.
When speaking to The Guardian, Høgni Hoydal, the Minister for Trade and Industry, explained,
“Farming was our life-blood for centuries and our oldest written document is the ‘Sheep Letter’ from 1298, which sets out the rules about compensation for trespass. But if tourists pay a fee, or environment tax, then we need to ensure the money is used to protect nature. And, I don’t think people should be charging without offering a service.”
It’s now up to the country’s politicians to decide whether or not asking such fees should be allowed.