05 Jul SISP features on German public service radio and BBC Radio 4
On June 2022 the German public service radio station Deutsche Welle featured a report on OATS Skye Iconic Sites Project (SISP) and sustainable tourism on Skye.
The Living Planet programme is in English and is part of DW’s equivalent of the BBC’s World Service, aimed at international audiences.
On the Isle of Skye, famed for its rugged mountains, medieval castles and charming fishing villages, skyrocketing tourist numbers are degrading the sites of “must-see” hotspots. Ever-larger car parks have been built to accommodate all the tourists’ vehicles. And now, a €1.1 million scheme to build new walking paths is underway. But is that the best way to protect this ecosystem and others like it?
To listen to the full programme, titled Scotland’s fabled nature hotspots buckling under visitor numbers, in English click on the link – https://www.dw.com/en/scotlands-fabled-nature-hotspots-buckling-under-visitor-numbers/av-62316273
The report by Richard Baynes features OATS staffers Tony Wilkinson, who works at the Fairy Pools Car Park, and Murray Swapp, SISP’s Project Manager, and explores the options for protecting delicate sites such as the Fairy Pools, the Quiriang, and the Old Man of Storr.
It also features Claudia Rowse of NatureScot talking about how policy could develop to divert visitors from honeypot tourism sites.
Richard Baynes also reported on the same topic for the BBC Radio 4 programme Farming Today, which was broadcast on 06 July 2022.
Listen here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018x2d. The item begins after about 16 seconds.
