In a groundbreaking new initiative, the Faroe Islands is launching self-navigating rental cars to distribute its visitors more evenly across the destination while giving guests a whole new way to experience the archipelago.

A familiar sight during the holidays is tourists, with their arms outstretched and their phones in selfie mode, trying to capture iconic and trendy sights. According to a McKinsey report from 2024, 80 percent of global tourist flow will be concentrated in just 10 percent of all the world's attractions. Algorithms and social media are thus creating an ecosystem where popular places become even more visited – the more people who share photos from there, the more people want to go there. The result is overtourism and, not least, predictable experiences.

Several destinations around the world are facing challenges with high visitor volumes, and the Faroe Islands have also experienced growing pressure in some places. Instead of imposing restrictions on the number of tourists, the Faroe Islands is now launching the concept of self-driving cars to better spread the flow of visitors.

”"We want to showcase places that are just as magical as the most famous and well-visited ones but that are often forgotten. Hidden gems that our guests might otherwise never have discovered on their own," says Guðrið Højgaard, CEO of Visit Faroe Islands.

A system that takes the visitor beyond the predictable  
The system behind the self-navigating cars is designed to automatically spread out visitors and lead them to places that foreign guests don't usually go. The routes are carefully selected by local Faroese people and include viewpoints, eateries and other attractions that are rarely mentioned in guidebooks.

“With the campaign, we hope that our visitors are prepared to let go of control a little. When you don't know what awaits around the next bend, you instead open yourself up to the possibility of experiencing something unexpected and new. Maybe something more beautiful. Maybe something more authentic,” says Marta Káradóttir, project manager at Visit Faroe Islands.

Launch and practical information
There are three cars fully dedicated to the initiative, but all rental cars in the Faroe Islands are technically prepared to use the system. The system, which is based on Google Maps, is a free option – the only requirement is that you agree to follow the car's instructions.

The development of the system has been made possible thanks to Visit Faroe Islands' collaboration with Google, where the Google Sheep View campaign used sheep to map the islands and their road network in detail.

The self-driving cars can be rented starting July 8, 2025, at the same price as regular rental cars.

About the Faroe Islands: The Faroe Islands consist of 18 small, green and mountainous islands in the North Atlantic, only a two-hour flight from Kastrup and four from Arlanda. In addition to magnificent nature, the archipelago is known for its rich culture with music, design and gastronomy. PAZ (www.paz.fo) was recently awarded 2 Michelin stars, and there are other Faroese restaurants mentioned in the guide. There are around 55,000 inhabitants on the islands, of which just under half live in the capital, Tórshavn.  

• Number of sheep: Approximately 100,000.
• Transport: The islands are connected by tunnels, bridges and ferries. Some of the routes are via toll roads. 
• Tourism: Tourism has experienced increasing growth over the past decade, but the Faroe Islands are actively working to keep development sustainable and locally rooted. 
• Digital initiatives: The Faroe Islands became world famous through Google Sheep View.

According to the press release.