The UK is one of Europe’s most popular tourism destinations, with around 40 million people flocking to the island every year.
On the surface, it may seem like a good thing. The issue, however, lies in where the tourists go.
Cities like Edinburgh and London have become crammed with tourists, foot traffic a nightmare in specific areas of the two capitals.
Though at least they’re cities and have room elsewhere. The same can’t be said for some of Britain’s other smaller and remote destinations.
Orkney, just off the coast of Scotland, has become one such hotspot, and questions are now being asked about just how sustainable travel to this small archipelago is.
Just over 20,000 people live on Orkney, yet every year, 192,000 people visit it.
The figure compared to the native population is wildly skewed and hides the true number. And, though it brings in a handsome amount of money to the sum of £67million, according to Visit Scotland, locals aren’t all that convinced it is a good thing.
One of two ways will take you to the island, either by boat or plane. It is the former mode of transport that has raised the biggest concerns, with residents up in arms at the number of cruise ships docking at its shores.
When 2023 came around, Orkney’s local council announced that 214 cruise ships were scheduled to call at the island that year.
While this was estimated to bring in £15million for the islands, backlash saw the number significantly reduced.
As many as 7,000 cruise passengers descend on the archipelago every day, almost half of the population itself.
The past year has seen Orkney seriously reconsider its position on tourism, with authorities mulling introducing restrictions on cruise liners to reduce the impacts of their presence on the islands.
The problem lies in the fact that the cruise passengers are in addition to the existing number of tourists who flock to the island. “It’s just too much,” one local told Forbes last year.
Authorities have been forced to close roads to ensure public safety because of the numbers, which in turn has affected local businesses and raised council taxes.
There’s not only the human impact to consider, either. Orkney is ancient. The mainland, the largest island, is home to remains that are 5,000 years old, including the entire preserved village of Skara Brae.
A vast ecosystem of flora and fauna also exists, much of which is indigenous to Orkney.
Conservationists fear that more tourism without the proper checks could adversely affect much of what makes the archipelago unique.
In August, the council brought in legislation on cruise ships, introducing a system in which the number of big ships docking at Kirkwall, Orkney’s main port, is considerably limited. On top of this, cruise ships will also be charged with a new tax, something that is hoped to deter the sheer number of vessels and help to reinvest money to combat the negative side of their presence.
