Tourism and communities
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| Tourism impacts on all communities, but it depends who you speak to whether they see it for the good or otherwise. Regardless of personal views, it is increasingly important that we see tourism as something that can sustain local businesses, in often remote communities, and can provide a keen and enthusiastic audience for efforts of celebrate local cultural and heritage diversity.
Without tourists many essential services would be lost to communities and opportunities to conserve our heritage assets would be that much more difficult. Our language, culture, history, landscapes and wildlife are what sets the area apart from everywhere else and this is why people come here. For many they are a vital fabric of the community. Many communities recognise this relationship and take active measures to provide a welcoming experience for visitors, but we can all do this better. HIE is active in supporting initiatives that better connect our visitors with our outstanding natural, cultural and historical inheritance. Use the links in the right hand menu and in the Links Page to obtain further information on how tourism can connect with the heritage and culture of our communities - the very life-blood of the Highlands and Islands. |