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Post by maree on Jan 22, 2007 18:56:50 GMT 1
I hear on Radio Shetland tonight that tourism has brought in over £16 million to our economy.........dat's nearly as much as a windfarm would.
<mod edit: Changed thread title from 'Tourism Revenue' to 'Tourism Revenue & Proposed Windfarm' to reflect the content of the thread.>
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Post by mucklelaalie on Jan 22, 2007 19:07:00 GMT 1
so it'll be good to have both providing such figures............?
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Post by Pat on Jan 23, 2007 11:56:11 GMT 1
I thought it was interesting that the report says that most of the tourists visiting Shetland want to come back. ;D
There will be a link to this report and when I find it I'll post it on the site. Meantime if anyone else knows of it pop it on.
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Post by Admin Mal on Jan 23, 2007 21:52:23 GMT 1
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Post by Pat on Jan 23, 2007 22:12:51 GMT 1
I see Andy Steven is calling for better transport links. I think this is crucial and at the same time internal transport links need to be thought about. At present tourists can only get into Northmavine by bus in the evening and out again the next morning.
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Post by Pat on Jan 23, 2007 22:15:03 GMT 1
I hear on Radio Shetland tonight that tourism has brought in over £16 million to our economy.........dat's nearly as much as a windfarm would. Interesting statistic. Can wind farms and tourism co-exist?
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Post by Pat on Jan 24, 2007 14:15:47 GMT 1
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Post by mucklelaalie on Jan 24, 2007 14:27:04 GMT 1
I hear on Radio Shetland tonight that tourism has brought in over £16 million to our economy.........dat's nearly as much as a windfarm would. Interesting statistic. Can wind farms and tourism co-exist? I've no seen Da Kames featuring all that prominently on the Visit Shetland website... wasn't the main picture the last time i looked... ;D To throw another thingy into the hat... tourism, whilst highly profitably, would seem to me much more instable as a means to economic stability. But hey, i'm no economist. But if I had the choice I know i'd feel more secure in the renewable energy world (links nicely back to climate change thread... the huge need) than tourism industry. I think they can both grow fine together if managed correctly. I'd advise against building a windfarm at eshaness, sumburgh head, hermaness, lerwick town centre though...
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Post by benjiesmum on Jan 24, 2007 18:48:47 GMT 1
Interesting statistic. Can wind farms and tourism co-exist? In Lanzarote they both seem to co-exist - one of my lasting memories of the place as we came into land was the hundreds of wind thingies (turbines?) on the mountainside. Doesn't look nice and I think the RSPB isn't overjoyed with them. There are huge farms of them too in the Irish Sea off Prestatyn and the same on Denbigh Moors. The jury's out with me. I see the reason for them but maybe they need camouflaging a bit. They look like huge white spectres looming out of the mist sometimes...and the noise they make...huummmmmm huuummmm
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Post by Pat on Jan 25, 2007 13:05:36 GMT 1
I think they can both grow fine together if managed correctly. I'd advise against building a windfarm at eshaness, sumburgh head, hermaness, lerwick town centre though... I see a circle of wind turbines around Clickimin Broch...hhhmmm! There is merit in what you say here. I think if we (the world) don't look after the environment and find new sources of energy then the tourism industry will collapse any way (broad sweeping statement). It's how we marry both of them together...thinking, thinking...
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Post by Pat on Jan 25, 2007 13:20:18 GMT 1
Interesting statistic. Can wind farms and tourism co-exist? In Lanzarote they both seem to co-exist... I've never been but that's a good example for a comparison. I expect many tourists go to Lanzarote for the sun and cheap deals. While Shetland has wonderful sunny days they could not be described as hot. We are also hampered with mist and wind. Travel costs to get here are also a real problem. We need to keep our spectacular (and they are spectacular) islands special and promote all the good things like the scenery, music, wildlife etc.. Can we then make any wind farms that bit different? I expect some imaginative answers to this question.
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laura
New Magnie
Posts: 47
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Post by laura on Jan 25, 2007 16:38:09 GMT 1
personally,i have nothing against wind farms. and if we don`t find alternatives to the use of oil,tourism will be out of the question as a long term prospect anyway.
fuel costs will escalate as oil becomes scarcer,and its already expensive enough to get here.
we have the oportunity to become a beacon of greeness,a "green" island in all senses.....including excluding GM crops.
become self suststainable etc etc........maybe i`m dreaming ...
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Post by mucklelaalie on Jan 25, 2007 17:13:12 GMT 1
In time, no dreaming at all, whether we lead the way on the green front, maybe a bit more debatable. I'd say there's a fair chance shetland (and similar areas) might though... Loss of oil affects shetland quicker, more directly and with greater impact than many other places i can think of... therefore we will have to get on with thinking of other ways (we already are... windfarm...). Whether the windfarm is necessarily the correct way to go... not sure. But without a base economy of some sort, tourism isn't going to be able to prosper (as its now beginning to it seems). I, personally, don't think the balance is far off with the planned windfarm. Taking realistic factors into consideration, economic needs Vs Environmental damage/concern Vs Individual 'environmental' right... (and many many more) it seems like the best way to currently go. in an ideal world you like to wait for the more appropriate form of renewable energy to appear and be viable... but you can't wait around when action is needed now (or very very soon). There is no reason why the windfarm need affect tourism. If the windfarm and future renewable energy industries develop in Shetland and the Oil drips its last drop, Tourism will rely on the new industry in place as its backbone. So... think i'm trying to say is... i agree.
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Post by benjiesmum on Jan 25, 2007 18:41:52 GMT 1
Still have very mixed views on this subject. Yes, they are a clean source of renewable energy and this surely has to be the way to go. However, blades whizzing round at 150 mph (allegedly) could be - and have been proved to be - a hazard to the less agile of birds. Clearly it is the siting of such windfarms that has to be most carefully considered. Take a look at: www.rspb.org.uk/policy/windfarms/index.asp for the RSPB's fairly balance view on the matter. Getting back to Lanzarote, I'm sure that the tourist board there wouldn't be to thrilled to learn that apart from the lunar landscape and active volcanoes, windfarms was my other long-lasting memory of the place! I think we should also be looking at solar power and wave power too. A neighbour had a solar panel fitted three years ago and his electricity is now FREE!!!! Facing south helps. ;D
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Post by bonna on Jan 26, 2007 15:04:51 GMT 1
Be very sure that the anti-windfarm minority, yes, I'll stick my neck out and say minority, will be exceptionally vocal in their opposition. Fair enough, i'm sure they hold their beliefs strongly.
The danger is that the strongly pro-windfarm and vaguely pro-windfarm (or don't really care) MAJORITY won't be as vocal, thereby giving the media a very unbalanced view of how Shetlanders really feel.
If you think wind farming on a large scale (because we've got the best-quality wind in Europe AND need to make a living post-oil), is actually quite a good idea, get out there and start supporting it! Write pro-letters to "da paper" balancing the anti-ones which are already appearing.
Post to the same effect on any forums (fora?) you can find on the subject.
Give them a bit of a run for their money!
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