Scarcity principle / The campaign works well as a publicity stunt and will generate some positive earned media for the Faroe Islands, but it also taps into the scarcity principle, which psychologist Robert Cialdini explains in his book Influence. At its heart, the scarcity principle means that the rarer or more difficult to obtain a product or opportunity is, the more perceived value it has. Many people have probably never considered visiting the Faroe Islands, but by closing the country’s doors to all but a very limited number of volunteers, the islands' tourist board has prompted thousands of people to think about the islands and boosted their desire to visit.
The sustainability aspect of the volunteer clean-up project is likely to appeal to the rising number of environmentally conscious tourists. According to a 2016 study by Sustainable Travel International and Mandala Research, 63% of all travellers say they are much more likely to consider destinations where there is a strong effort to conserve and protect natural resources. The same survey suggests that so-called ‘eco tourists’ tend to stay longer and spend more. And from 2013 to 2016, 60% of US travellers reported taking a ‘sustainable’ trip and said they had a responsibility to make sure they do not cause harm to a destination.
Many travellers also want to experience and live like a local, which Visit Faroe Islands' clean-up campaign enables them to do while being useful at the same time. We’ve seen other travel and tourism campaigns that tap into this live like a local trend. Airbnb, for example, based its entire Don’t Go There, Live There campaign around it, and Sir Hotels created a programme of unique experiences run by locals in the areas surrounding its hotels.
The CEO of hotel chain AccorLocal, Scott Gordon, recently told Contagious in an interview: ‘Local is truly booming around the world right now. People don’t want to consume less, they want to consume more responsibly. They want to know their local baker, flower artist, winemaker.’
Responsible tourism / This campaign is happening at a time when many popular tourist destinations are worrying about ‘overtourism’ and all its associated problems. The increasing quantity of visitors to some destinations has led to environmental degradation, deteriorating infrastructure, diminishing travel experiences and the dilapidation of heritage sites – all of which negativity impacts residents and the long-term future of the area. This has prompted some governments and tourism boards to act – as we saw in last year’s highly acclaimed Palau Pledge campaign and a more recent campaign from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism board.
As Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, writes: ‘Travel and tourism has become a behemoth, capable of doing great good and great damage.’
In recent years, the Faroe Islands have seen an estimated 10% increase in tourism. The island’s pristine cliffs, waterfalls and wildlife attract around 100,000 visitors per year. And while this may be good for the hospitality trade, certain picturesque spots have taken a toll, which annoyed locals and will impact the islands' tourism prospects in the long term. Therefore, this campaign is as much about getting Faroese people behind tourism as it is about getting tourists to do something useful when they visit.
