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In the North Atlantic Ocean, halfway between Iceland and Norway, a small island community is testing an imaginative solution to overtourism: self-navigating cars. The Faroe Islands, an archipelago with a 2-to-1 ratio of sheep to humans, are known for their iconic views. Theres the cascading Múlafossur waterfall; the westernmost island of Mykines, home to thousands of puffins; and the Srvágsvatn, also known as the lake above the ocean. But while these three sites are the islands’ main tourist attractions, a new campaign from the tourism agency Visit Faroe Islands claims that theyre also the source of some significant problems. [Photo: courtesy Visit Faroe Islands] Tourists gather around the same iconic hot spots, driven by algorithms and social media trends that create a closed ecosystem where images from popular places attract even more people to those very locations, the agencys website reads. The result is overtourism and predictable experiences. Overtourism has become an increasing concern for popular vacation destinations in the post-pandemic years, as an overwhelming influx of visitors to Instagrammable hot spots puts pressure on local infrastructure and communities. The trend has sparked protests in Venice, Italy; Barcelona; the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa; and Kyoto, Japan, among others. Cities in Italy, Spain, and Greece have taken to implementing tourist taxes in an effort to curb the problem, and must-see destinations like the Louvre have even decided to redesign to accommodate greater foot traffic. This month, Visit Faroe Islands is piloting a less-aggressive approach to overtourism. Through a collaboration with 62N car rental, the agency is offering an experience called the Auto Odyssey, a series of self-navigating itineraries that guide tourists to lesser-known locations across the islands in an effort to reduce the strain on local hot spots. [Photo: courtesy Visit Faroe Islands] An itinerary designed for spontaneityand tourist flow In a new campaign video, Visit Faroe Islands lays out its pitch for Auto Odyssey: Even in one of the most secluded places on Earth, the Faroe Islands, the tourists flock to the same places to take a picture, the video starts. The solution? Self-navigating car rental. If you want this car, you have to accept that the car decides where you go, no matter what, the video continues. In return for embracing this unpredictability, this car will take you to places few have been before you. [Photo: courtesy Visit Faroe Islands] When visitors choose to rent a car from 62N, they can opt into the Auto Odyssey program for free. Once inside the vehicle, travelers scan a QR code that activates turn-by-turn navigation on their phone, with a curated set of four to six stops over the course of three to six hours. The whole experience is designed for maximum spontaneity, as travelers destinations become clear only once theyve arrived, and the navigation illuminates just one section of the journey at a time. Along the way, the system provides local stories tied to each place. [Photo: courtesy Visit Faroe Islands] “The Visit Faroe Islands team pulled from personal knowledge and sat down together to curate the routes and feature places that we like to visit ourselves,” says Súsanna E. Srensen, marketing manager of leisure and PR at the tourist board. We selected places e know are scenic or interesting, yet dont get a lot of attention. It is not about identifying a new scenic hot spot but more so to show visitors unexpected places. We want to encourage them to take in the beauty and the silence of the place.” Possible destinations include a roadside stand serving fish and chips; one of the oldest turf-roofed wooden churches on the islands; a hiking trail through dramatic fjords; and a lake tucked between steep cliffs. The system comes preprogrammed with 30 different itineraries, and is designed to ensure that all the rental cars on the road are headed on separate paths, keeping overcrowding to a minimum. [Photo: courtesy Visit Faroe Islands] In a press release, Guri Hjgaard, CEO of Visit Faroe Islands, explained that Auto Odyssey is the agencys way of exploring how technology and creativity could offer a new way for travelers to discover the Faroes. The concept is certainly a long way off from solving Europes larger overtourism problem, given that its designed for a comparatively small location that relies on travel by car. Further, the Auto Odyssey program runs on the honor systemit has no way of actually stopping a traveler from charting their own course. Still, it offers a fascinating case study into how the design of a travel itinerary might help cities guide and redirect the flow of daily visitors. This is a more thoughtful kind of journey, designed to both protect whats most beloved and reveal spots often overlooked, Hjgaard said. With this initiative, we hope to lead by example, demonstrating how destinations can embrace innovation to spread tourism more responsibly and meaningfully.
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E-Commerce
“Shhhh,” Helena Bonham Carter is whispering in my ear. “Let me tell you a story, from long, long ago.” I am lying on a mattress in a wallpapered bedroom that seems plucked from the 1990s. There are Keith Haring drawings, Tori Amos posters, and a shelf-full of teddy bears. Bonham Carter’s voice, coming in through a headset, is talking about a princess named Viola. Her voicespectral, beguilingis about to guide me through a dizzying dreamscape of mazes and dark corridors, and its all part of a spectacular new show by Punchdrunk. Until now, the British theater company has been known for its highly immersive productions like Sleep No More and The Burnt City. A Punchdrunk performance typically encourages spectators to roam freely and interact with masked actors who might whisk you into a cupboard or slip a note into your hand. But Violas Room, staged inside The Shed in New York City, marks a departure from this model: There is only one prescribed path. And instead of interacting with masked actors, you are the actor. “What Punchdrunk is all about is a physical activation of the body. Its about putting the audience at the center,” Punchdrunks founder, Felix Barrett, told me. “If you’re stood up, and you are having to make decisions, or you’re having to deal with a perceived threat, suddenly the flood of adrenaline sends all your blood to your skin.” [Photo: Marc J. Franklin] “Follow the light” Violas Room was adapted from a 1901 gothic mystery story by the English horror writer Barry Pain. The Punchdrunk version was written by Booker Prize short-listed author Daisy Johnson, and it follows the story of Princess Viola, who leaves the safety of her home and ventures into a shadowy dream world where her sense of self begins to dissolve. Of all the stories Punchdrunk has crafted, this one is Barretts favorite. There’s something about it, where the atmosphere is so thick, and its because it’s so controlled, he says. [Photo: Marc J. Franklin] Barrett staged an early version of Violas Room back in 2000. Then called The Moon Slave, it took place inside a 13-acre walled garden, where spectators were guided by staff holding burning torches. When the team revived the show (it first ran in London in 2024), they had to rethink how to replicate the concept indoors. Barrett wanted something ephemeral, like the ghost of Helena taking you by the hand, he says, and he eventually landed on fiber-optic lights the size of a grain of barley. (Standard LEDs were too bright.) Spectators are now guided through the space by a synchronized mix of Bonham Carters voice and more than 1,500 individual light fixtures concealed inside woolly gray clusters designed to resemble tiny, stormy clouds. Every light is an invitation to move forward through the sinuous set: If a lamp lights up, you walk toward it. If it doesnt, you stay put. At times, I found myself in complete darkness, without so much as an exit sign lurking in a corner. Barrett says enough visitors in London got spooked that they decided to assure people at The Shed that there are no jump scares. To further amp the senses, visitors are invited to experience the show barefoot, and every room is bathed in a custom scent. When youre light-deprived, all other senses kick in, says Alex Poots, the artistic director and CEO of The Shed. These moments of pitch black called for special permission from local authorities, as total darkness goes against U.S. fire codes. Poots says Violas Room is one of a few shows in America that’s gotten permission to go complete black, and he notes that a team backstage monitors spectators via a bevy of infrared cameras and can intervene within a minute of a fire alarm sounding. [Photo: Marc J. Franklin] A fairytale in Manhattan Violas Room is an intimate affair designed for a maximum of six people. (People with wheelchairs can book private visits to experience the show, which is fully ADA accessible.) I visited on a clammy Tuesday evening. Outside, Manhattan was gearing up for happy hour. People were sipping Aperol spritzes, and tourists were traipsing up and down the High Line. Inside, I felt like Id stepped into a fairytale gone wrong. The set design, by Barrett and Casey Jay Andrews, contributed to the realism. Barrett started by drawing the “shape of the show” on a piece of papera line, a square, a line, a squarebefore adding layers of texture, a bit like a painting. To visualize the whole thing, he then worked with a team f model makers who spent months making copies of each room, then lighting them from within. [Photo: Marc J. Franklin] For Viola’s teenage bedroom, Barrett drew inspiration from his younger brother’s bedroom and stuffed it with ’90s ephemera he sourced from vintage shops and markets around London. Elsewhere, corridors narrowed under flickering lights. Closets opened into secret rooms. A miniature tree encased in jelly later came back as a giant tree towering over an entire room. [Photo: Marc J. Franklin] We wanted that sense of scale to shift and grow and grow and grow, says Barrett, who drew inspiration from Maurice Sendaks Where the Wild Things Are, where the mundane becomes otherworldly. In Sendaks story, Maxs bedroom transforms into a forest. In Barretts story, things take a slightly darker turn. With nowhere else to go but straight, the experience doesnt allow for any meandering, but the curious mind will be rewarded with treats or easter eggs the team peppered throughout the show. (The jelly-encased tree is one of them). Im a real believer that as long as one person finds it, its absolutely valid, Barrett says. In fact, if one person finds something that no one else does, then its their gift. Its their discovery. The show is on view through October 19.
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E-Commerce
We know artificial intelligence can replace some person-to-person interactions, but can it also create opportunities for us to connect? Building personal connections through networking is becoming an even more pivotal part of the job search. As of last year, an estimated 84% of companies use an employee referral program while recruiting and 30% of referred candidates get hiredcompared to 7% of general applicants, according to research from Erin Technologies, an employee referral-based recruitment platform. In todays difficult job market, where over 7 million people are currently unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, networking experts say using AI tools to draft emails and LinkedIn messages can help you get a referral that brings your application to the next levelas long as you use them the right way. Networking isnt just about who you know. Its about who knows you, says Jan Tegze, author of the book Job Search Guide: Be Your Own Career Coach. In a crowded job market, that makes a huge difference, he says. If you want to use AI to step up your networking, experts have some tips. Use AI to find people to add to your network Finding a company that you want to work for or a job listing that seems like a good fit is half the battle. But when it comes to getting the job, making connections with a broad range of people who can give advice and refer you for a job is key. Still, it can be difficult to know who to reach out to. The mistake that a lot of people make is they reach out to the recruiter, says Matt Landau, CEO of AI job search site Swooped. Recruiters are inundated with those types of messages, and they often dont have any type of hiring sway, he says. One solution is to use AI tools that search for people working in roles similar to the ones you are interested in or at companies you are applying to. Some AI networking tools even find peoples LinkedIn profiles and business emails for you, making connecting with new people a much speedier process. However, Landau notes the importance of respecting the privacy of people you are reaching out toeven if their contact information is public. Sticking with career-focused social media sites such as LinkedIn and avoiding personal emails or phone numbers is a much better way to make a first impression. Ive gotten Instagram DMs, and Twitter, things of that sort, Landau adds. I think thats a little bit of an invasion of privacy and might rub people the wrong way. Delegate repetitive and time-consuming tasks to AI AIs power is in its ability to sort through information and generate outputs quickly, freeing up time for other work. In fact, 89% of employees said using AI leads to fewer repetitive tasks, according to a Morning Consult survey commissioned by Zoom in 2023. Networking experts suggest leveraging these benefits of AI by using it to create custom resources for your job search, such as organized lists of people to reach out to and templates or drafts for emails and LinkedIn messages. I encourage my clients to use AI in their job search like a PA for their job search process, says Sarah Felice, executive and career coach at Prima Careers. Felice emphasizes, though, that AI is better as a personal assistant rather than a director. It can augment everything you do but should never replace your style of writing or your research, she adds. Personalize AI-generated messages before you send them out Once AI helps get the networking process started with an organized list of people to connect with and drafted messages or templates, its important to take a step back and add personal touches before hitting send. A lot of times we’ll find people writing very generic [messages], like Hey, Im interested in this role. I’d love for you to take a look at my resume, Landau says. That often is not going to spark interest. Instead, networking experts say you should add information about yourself that will interest potential connections. This could be information emphasizing why you would be a good fit for an open role, relevant accomplishments, or just things you have in common with the person. I think whats very important is to embrace your background, says Jonathan Javier, CEO of AI job search site Wonsulting. People who come from the same background as you understand your story. For AI tools specifically created to help job seekers network, Javier says a good test of quality is seeing if the tool prompts users to add relevant information like this and edit drafts as part of the process. If you send the same AI-written note to 10 people, theyll notice and probably wont reply, Tegze adds. The point of networking is to build trust. AI can help you get started, but it cant build real relationships for you. AI helps most when you understand its limits AI has drastically changed the job-seeking process in recent years, but its not the first major technological change. Networking experts suggest learning from past shifts to understand how to alter your networking process. I like to remind my clients that I remember life before LinkedIn, when the sort of information it provides so easily was not available, Felice says. AI is clearly the next evolution in technology that we are only just seeing the beginning of today. When using this emergent technology, remembering the meaning behind the tasks you do is critical. And for networking, the name of the game is connecting on a person-to-person basisnot crafting perfect networking requests. Once AI has helped you connect with someone, let your own words shine in further communications, such as during informational calls. Asking questions about the persons role and getting advice on how to look for a job in their field or at their company can build a relationship that is both personally and professionally valuable. When someone helps you, its not because your message was perfectly written, Tegze adds. Its because they believed you were genuine and worth helping. And no AI can fake that for you.
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E-Commerce
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