While U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in taking control of Greenland, Denmark’s other self-governing territory — the Faroe Islands — has remained under his radar.

But not so for tourists, who are arriving in large numbers on the remote archipelago in the north Atlantic, with a record 94,954 check-ins occurring last year at hotels, hostels and guesthouses, according to Statistics Faroe Islands.

That’s relatively small for a European destination, but authorities are already thinking about how to protect the windswept 18 islands from the tourism pressure that has led to backlash in popular locations elsewhere in Europe.

Especially as its new co-chairmanship of the Arctic Council is expected to bring even more global visibility to the territory, along with its stunning run toward its first soccer World Cup.

Rising summer temperatures elsewhere are also expecting to boost the number of visitors seeking a "coolcation" to escape the sweltering heat.

The Faroes could be a poor choice for travelers with vertigo, seasickness or a fear of enclosed spaces, because of its crumbling cliffs, sudden gale-force winds and hillsides so steep that even the sheep can tumble.

But for the intrepid wanderers, there is a growing network of undersea tunnels, including what’s called the world’s first undersea roundabout, that are helping to link the 18 islands.

Rugged isolation is giving way to smooth highways, and Airbnb has hundreds of listings among a population of over 50,000 people.

Authorities are trying to both encourage tourism and protect the Faroe Islands from it.

A yearly “closed for maintenance” program began in 2019, with volunteers from around the world chosen to help with anti-erosion efforts, path upkeep and other work.

The national museum later launched a project to protect lands and biodiversity.

This year, the tourism office introduced self-navigating tours that steer visitors from the churned-mud trails of the most popular spots to lesser-known areas.

Tour routes are revealed online as you go along.

One sends users to a seaside village that hosts a popular music festival, followed by a tiny botanical garden, a fjord-side memorial to a deadly shipwreck and a small forest plantation enjoyed by Faroese on the otherwise treeless islands.

The last leg was along a one-lane road that at times had no guardrail between its lack of shoulder and the drop to the sea.

Sheep walked along one stretch, another reason for visitors to stay alert in the stunning surroundings. (There's a police number to call if a driver hits one.)

Visitors who love the outdoors can easily spend a week in the Faroe Islands cycling, fishing, trying an emerging sauna scene, eating sushi from locally farmed salmon and shopping for newly knitted wool sweaters.

In the summer, boat tours include music concerts inside a sea cave or puffin-watching.

Winters are fierce, but interest in the islands is starting to extend the peak tourist season into October.

The official Visit Faroe Islands tourist board's website has detailed advice on safe travel, as locals are aware that people could slip off trails into the sea – and have.

It doesn't hold back as it balances the appeal of growing tourism with the responsibility of warning travelers.

Finding equilibrium is a long practice in the nation whose fishing-dominated economy requires cordial ties with a range of countries, including Russia and China.

“Stormcation,” the Visit Faroe Islands site declares, but adds: "Ferocious wind can overturn cars, fling bicycles, wheelbarrows — and sheep — or anything else that’s not anchored down.”

AP video by Cara Anna