In the middle of Medieval Week on Gotland, which attracts 100,000 visitors, a ferry has broken down.
The ferry is one of three that serve the island and a large number of tourists have now been stranded in the harbor.
– We are looking at opening up gymnasiums and such if necessary and have a continuous dialogue with the region’s crisis management, says Marcus Risberg.
Travelers forced to spend the night in cars and in the ferry terminal, lack of information and several canceled departures. “Disaster” describes the whole thing as one of the travelers.
The technical fault on the ferry M/S Drotten has caused problems on the island out in the Baltic Sea.
According to Destination Gotland, which operates the ferries, M/S Drotten can start sailing again only on Tuesday.
– There will be very long waiting times, we are talking about a day or two, says Marcus Risberg, CEO of Destination Gotland.
Can open gymnasiums
On its website, Destination Gotland now informs its travelers about what applies to overnight stays. People who need overnight accommodation are referred to a list of different hotels. Anyone who chooses to stay in a hotel rather than sleep in the car or the terminal can receive some compensation.
“As an affected traveler, you may be entitled to some compensation afterwards. Each individual booking is handled separately,” writes Destination Gotland.
At the same time, Destination Gotland is now considering, together with the region’s crisis management, to open up other accommodation possibilities, including gymnasiums.
– We are looking at opening up gymnasiums and such if necessary and have a continuous dialogue with the region’s crisis management which handles it. We haven’t gotten to the point of opening up yet, says Marcus Risberg, CEO of Destination Gotland.
According to Marcus Risberg, whether gymnasiums will be opened up to travelers depends a little on how the day develops.
– There are many who have checked into hotels and there are many who have slept in the terminal and in cars. It’s not optimal, we understand that.
All ferries fully booked
The ferries that go from Gotland to the mainland are fully booked and cannot run more trips than they already do at the moment.
– It is not possible to produce more capacity in the other ships because they are running all the time. The day only has 24 hours, says Marcus Risberg.
Destination Gotland is now in contact with the authorities on the island to ensure that the necessary resources are available to those affected.
– We regret this and understand that many people are greatly affected, says Marcus Risberg.
The isolated location – both pros and cons
Erik Öhrn, who is operations manager at Gotland’s united tourism industry, believes that the island’s isolated location is both an advantage and a potential weakness.
– In a situation like this, it becomes vulnerable. It’s not just about the hospitality industry, it’s also about us who live and work here. But the fact that it is out in the Baltic Sea makes it an attraction and an exciting place to travel to and live.
Furthermore, Erik Öhrn believes that what is happening right now is a rather unique situation, which occurs very rarely.
– But when transport goes down, it affects a lot. Especially when there are so many people on the island.