On the most recent episode of Coastal Catch Ups, I spoke to Rory Martin last week about the challenges and opportunities of sustainable tourism in Strangford Lough. Based in Northern Ireland, Rory runs Strangford Lough Activity Centre, which is located in one of the country's most environmentally sensitive coastal waterbodies. The delicate habitats and species residing here are becoming more attractive to tourists, which will create challenges and opportunities for running a sustainable future that balances the economic, environmental and social needs of the community and environment. In 2019, over 120,000 visits to the Ards and North Down council area were made by people in Northern Ireland, according to the latest figures from Tourism Northern Ireland, with the scenery in Strangford Lough being one of the main attractions. I imagine this figure was potentially higher after the covid restrictions were lifted.
Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland (Credit: Sam Purdon).
What has caused an increase in footfall?
Increased footfall originated from the COVID pandemic when people realised the natural areas available to them and were forced to look for activities closer to home and new experiences. Although Rory mentioned the initial surge has decreased, the awareness has definitely remained and tourists are still aware of the local opportunities. Activities on the water are generally off-limits to people who are not familiar with coastal areas and safety protocols, however running activities in a safe environment, makes it more accessible to people. The recently trending bottlenose dolphins on social media has also played a role in attracting visitors to the area. This is coupled with other species present in the area, such as the visiting Orcas in 2020 and native seal populations.
What challenges does increasing footfall create?
Introducing human activities into sensitive areas no doubt puts pressure on fragile ecosystems and can potentially disrupt natural habitats. Balancing visitor access with conservation efforts is a constant challenge. As Rory mentioned, it is a fine balance for the organisation to promote the beauty of the area in order to attract visitors, whilst also being environmentally conscious to protect the very area they promote. Examples of the challenges include increased noise, direct impacts with watercraft, feeding, litter, and crowding of rural areas.
"it is a fine balance for us, because if we don't share the images, people don't see how beautiful it is"
One of the key issues we discussed is parking and access, with issues being reported across the country with farmer's accesses being blocked and grass verges being destroyed. However one of the challenges is when visitors are not associated with the organisation, and they are able to turn up and park wherever they want, with limited awareness or regard to the issues they are causing.
Another issue we discussed is the promotion of sensitive species on social media, attracting people to the area. Strangford Lough was one of the most Instagrammed tourist destinations in Northern Ireland in 2022. Rory reiterated the importance of choosing a responsible tour operator who knows best practice when viewing wildlife. For example, keeping a distance using the rule of thumb method and turning engines off when viewing species to reduce noise. You can read more about these best practice methods here in a useful document produced by Nature Scotland.
Protocol for viewing cetaceans (dolphins, whales, porpoises). Note that viewing cetaceans can also be undertaken safely from land (Nature Scotland).
What opportunities exist in the industry?
It is vital that this attraction to environmental areas in the tourist industry is used to create awareness of responsible behaviour. Although, promoting responsible tourism practices and raising awareness among visitors about environmental conservation can be challenging, education programs and effective communication are essential to ensure visitors understand and follow sustainable practices.
As well as awareness, direct actions can be undertaken during activities to promote conservation. I was interested to hear about Rory's 'Paddle with a purpose' classes which involves paddling to remote islands, and whilst receiving teaching on water skills and information on the local environment, people can do their bit by collecting litter at the locations they are visiting.
How can tourism be managed?
Implementing and enforcing regulations to protect ecotourism destinations is critical to avoid unsustainable practices and degradation of natural resources. Many species are protected by law already. However, for the long-term management of areas, it was interesting to read about the carrying capacity of the ecotourism areas to ensure areas are not overdeveloped and crowded. However, the question is who would decide this capacity for the areas in Northern Ireland, obviously requiring scientific studies and community involvement, and also who would enforce it.
"hopefully we can keep the local population on side and they still are advocates for our business and we can get the environmental message out there"
Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among stakeholders, including local communities, conservation groups, governments, tour operators, and the tourists themselves. This allows everyone's views and concerns to be highlighted, and hopefully implement mitigation through sustainable planning such as having adequate parking and access.
As already mentioned, increasing environmental awareness through attending courses through responsible suppliers, teaches people appropriate behaviour around wildlife. This will allow people to enjoy the environment themselves whilst being confident that they are not impacting the wildlife they are viewing.
You can listen to or watch the full podcast episode with Rory at www.coastalcatchups.com/episodes.
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