Published on : Tuesday, February 26, 2019
The findings will assist in outlining a tourism masterplan for the island for the next decade.
Visitors, residents and businesses are being requested to participate in the survey, which has been specially made by SkyeConnect, the official destination-management organization of the Island.
Visitors are attracted to the island by its scenic beauty and to be grateful for features like the Cuillin Ridge and The Old Man of Storr, as the Fairy Pools alone lures over 100,000 visitors every year.
To quote Marina Martinolli, project manager at GCU’s Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism, “The island was traditionally viewed as a walking or outdoor activity destination but with the opening of the Skye bridge making the island more accessible, this has changed dramatically.”
“Alongside Edinburgh, Skye is now Scotland’s most iconic visitor destination.”
“A number of local residents have already been in touch to say they want to get involved.”
“We hope anyone with an interest in the economy of Skye will assist our researchers in carrying out this important study.”
Researchers will offer a comprehensive breakdown of the behavior of visitor spending, nationality, tourist activities and motivation to travel, as the study will at the same time look into the effect of tourism on the local transport infrastructure.
The consequences will be highlighted at a public event in early 2020.
It is estimated that one in eight properties on the island are let through Airbnb, as Skye has also turned out to be a popular destination for cruise ships between May and September.
To quote Alistair Danter, project manager for SkyeConnect, “As a destination management organisation, we need to have a detailed understanding of visitors, their views, their behaviours and their impact on the whole of Skye – not just the tourism sector.”
Tags: tourism on Isle of Skye