A set of Scottish islands could introduce limits on cruise ships to cope with rising numbers of tourists. The influx has caused problems for residents.

The Orkney Islands have a wealth of attractions to explore, including some of Europe’s oldest Neolithic sites.

According to Orkney Harbour Authority, 234 ships are expected to berth over the year, and passengers are expected to boost the economy by around £15 million.

However, the huge number of cruise tourists visiting the islands has led to disruption for locals, including road closures.

Local business owners have faced issues due to the road closures and many say they have yet to see any benefit from the tourism industry.

‌

READ MORE ‘Incredible’ beach named best in Spain with ‘beautiful and clean sand’

Julie Richards, who owns Straigona B&B in Tankerness, told The Times: “We have had over 7,000 passengers from three ships on one day and some ships have over 4,000 passengers.

“All this on top of the normal tourism. It’s too much. Nobody is saying ban the cruise business, but we see no benefit and we have a council tax rise of 10 percent. We just want the cruise ship impact better organised. This is definitely the worst it has ever been.”

However, Paul Olvhoj, business development manager with marine services at the harbour authority, said every port in the UK sees Orkney as a “beacon of success.”

Don’t miss…
‘Beautiful’ stately home is one of the UK’s favourites[STAYCATION]
Cruise guests complain about ‘terrible’ WIFI on cruise ships[CRUISE]
British tourists should ask their flight attendant one important question[TIP]

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

He said the port was working to minimise days with larger numbers of passengers although the council is looking at developing a cruise liner booking policy.

Olvhoj said: “The larger liners calling into Orkney make up a very small percentage of the overall numbers and we work hard to minimise days with larger numbers of passengers.”

He added there was “no question” that tourism should be “properly managed” on the island and said it was “central to the local economy”.

Cruise ship limits are becoming more common around the world and Venice went as far as banning ships from its lagoon in 2021.

Barcelona, which was recently named the most polluted port in Europe, has plans to raise taxes for cruise passengers.

Cruise ships have also caused issues on popular Greek islands such as Mykonos, where the ships often block the sunset from other tourists.

Source: Read Full Article