Where is everyone?

[wasseventhseil]

Hello! Hello! Come on I know its the Easter holidays but surely y'all can be roused to say something........no? oh well better return to my search for a dyspeptic past.

[elephantseal]

Don't worry, I am still around. I have to be in Inveraray tommorrow to open a elephant polo exhibition with the Duke, but that's the limit to my travels. Now to go and get the Chivas Regal helicopter primed for the morning...

[MA1BOB]

I'm still here. It is kidding season here on the farm so we are all tired from taking care of the girls. 10 kids so far. 8 Nannys and 2 Billys.

Cheers

Bob

[Ticonderoga]

How about a little chat about the positives and negatives of the tourist trade? That should fire things up again. Recent discussion points frequently mention the benefits of tourism. Do all roads lead to tourism or can it possibly have a detrimental effect on an area? Is it right that movers and shakers have clamoured to make our economy in the Highlands so reliant on tourism? Are casual, seasonal, poorly paid jobs a worthy prize for so many? Whose pockets are really lined with tourist money?
I've already asked too many questions and mentioned tourism too many times - please discuss.

[wasseventhseil]

Yes our "reliance" on the tourist trade is a little worrying, unfortunatly we don't seem to do tourism that well.
My experience in Ierland recently was quite eye opening, they seem to try and get every last penny out of tourists but at the same time keep developing other industrys in rural areas.And they seem to be investing in ifrastructure to support both tourism and the local communitys.

I do not see that happening here, any kind of development up this way seems to imediately bring on the threat that it might scare the tourists away.Where as it might actually attract visitors to a busy thriving community with a variety of industrys. A backward example of this is when they "improved" Oban pier (knocked down the fish hall and the ice factory and replaced them with a woolen mill, a Tory Glass outlet and "mc caigs pantry") only to see the number of visitors to Oban drop as they removed the very think people wanted to see ie. fishermen boats and ferrys.
I am sure the number of visitors has renturned to what it was ,but how many woolen mills does one town need!

any hoo I don't know if I am making any sense now ,I think I will have a wee lie down..........

[Pentlandpirate]

Tourism is just fine...but there are different types of tourism. Think...what does the area do well? It seems that the tourists to the area are disproportionately older. Nothing wrong in that, as they are supposed to have more disposable income....but some Oban seafront Hotels reek of incontinence. Perhaps tourism tuned to the needs of a "desirable" sector of the population might mark the area out as something special compared to other destinations. Create a "Festival" of something, and draw people in year on year. I'm not suggesting a geriatric festival...but how about a "Highland" Festival? People might come from all over the world.

[Minimum]

Suppose we could do a three island festival?

Trying to "hop" from island to island could be great fun for locals and visitors alike, to different events and venues.

[Pentlandpirate]

Good idea Minimum. But what's the theme for the three island Festival?

[novus ordo seclorum]

Seventhseil posted on 3rd April <I know its the Easter holidays>. Hang on Seven, old chum, the Easter hols don't start for us civilians until 14th April. Is this another indicator that you're all teachers?

MA1BOB tells us <It is kidding season here>. Feels like that here too sometimes Bob.

Pentlandpirate raises the spectre of ageism again with his absolute classic <some Oban seafront Hotels reek of incontinence>.

Anyway, to the serious stuff: A Festival for Seil. I think a Highland Festival is a bit dodgy being well south of the Highland Line. Back home in Nuckle County, Arkansas we used to have a baby festival the highlight being the slippy baby contest where all the newborns would be liberally (I hate that word) smeared in Johnsons best and the mother who tossed her child most times was the winner. Could work here as I can't recall one being dropped on Seil for many years, but a lot of tossing certainly occurs.

I think the best way to encourage tourism would be to reverse the smoking ban. Any of you attempted to enter the T & T recently for a quiet Bud and some country music on the sound system only to be confronted by a mob of bearded wierdos (could well be damned hippies for all I know) milling around the door in an intimidating manner? Let them back in I say and the tourists will stop being too scared to enter and, an interesting byproduct, the bar will stop smelling of farts and poofy deodarant as it does now.
As we used to say where I come from: "only two things come from Texas; steers and queers and I don't see no horns on you boy."

[MA1BOB]

I have found that I have been giving this subject much thought. That is scary unto its self. But I digress.

As to a festival. Many towns have Highland festivals each year. I have been to Dunoon's on several ocasions. My thought on this is to have a "Hop, Skip and a Jump tour" Each island will have a theme and tourists will be able to visit each seperate island to enjoy the full festival. Beer on one island, wine on the next and whiskey on the last. That should keep the ferries and the loos busy. Just my thoughts on the idea.

Cheers

Bob

[MA1BOB]

One more observation on tourist trade. I was in Invarrary once for a wedding and I wore my kilt for the occasion. After the wedding I took a walk to the local pub for a pint. Tourists were running up to me to get a picture of themselves with a man in his kilt. Seriously.

Moral of the story.

Men of Seil, wear your kilts as often as you dare. If you are taking a walk through town or just going to the pub. Be dressed for the occasion. The tourist will be in awe and will want to come back time and time again to be in an "Old fashioned Scotish Town" This may sound daft to everyone but it will be something like this that will put the Islands on the tourist map.

Cheers

Bob

[novus ordo seclorum]

Don't know what you've been smoking, Bob, but if we had some of it here we might get round the smoking ban.

Love your idea about different drinks on the three islands. Lets be a little more specific though:

Easdale should offer vintage claret delivered by a top London wine merchant in view of the birthplace of 57% of its inhabitants.
Luing: Whiskey in view of its majority religious persuasion
Seil: Whine (you gotta be here to geddit).

What's all this about kilts (symbolic of Victorian imperialist oppression)? Only jokers and plastic-paddies up from the Home Counties for the Ball were those around here. You might be sunbathing in Pennsylavania (good old William Penn eh; his Grandfather had a croft on Innish) right now (or will be in your morning) but its only a couple of degrees above zero here as I write and it snowed for a while twenty minutes ago!

[wasseventhseil]

Um seriously marketing Seil, Luing and Easdale islands together as a tourist destination is a very sound idea and one that should be taken up, although a bridge and a tunnel would obviously improve matters as to convenience.

He he if ya'll think I am a teacher my plan is working better than I thought, obviously this smoking ban is having a detrimental effect on NOS's tempriment, oh and nice work insulting most of the regulars at the T'n'T.......

[novus ordo seclorum]

Sad that seven's sense of humour implant is still not working. A tip I heard once back home (it will rise again!) to encorage the laughter gene is to use licorace paper for roll-ups; might help so worth a try seven my old buddy.

[Pentlandpirate]

Tut tut. Quieten it down a bit in the classroom! Must admit I am a little surprised at NOS (Not Otherwise Specified) sensitivity. Surely must be some-sort of ageing civil servant with his sense of political correctness gone mad.

Easdale should offer vintage claret delivered by a top London wine merchant in view of the birthplace of 57% of its inhabitants.
Luing: Whiskey in view of its majority religious persuasion
Seil: Whine (you gotta be here to geddit).

Who's whining loudest?

[Ticonderoga]

I knew it wouldn't be long before NOS came old chumming into the fray. May know where Arkansas and Texas are, but the geography's a bit dodgy if you think Argyll falls outwith the traditional Highland line.
But worse still, no sooner mention tourism and you're all thinking up ideas for events to attract more visitors! Has everyone been brainwashed, since the tourist boom years of the mid 70s, into believing that tourism is the only sector in our economy worth developing?
Seventhseil is right- visitors come to see what they can't see at home, for a different experience to see how others live and work. Unfortunately our planners and councillors and associated agencies believe that they can offer something for everyone and will tear apart towns like Oban and rural areas in their lust for visitor cash.
How often do we hear that there's nothing to do in Oban in the rain? If that's a problem, don't come to the West Coast for your holiday. Who'd go to Spain if they didn't like the heat?
Worthwhile and sustainable developments should offer as much to the people who live here as they do to the visitor. That's why Oban's War & Peace museum works and why the old salmon centre at Kilninver was such a dismal failure.

[MA1BOB]

Yes, tourism is not the cure all for any community. There needs to be a sustainable industry to support the local economy. Many people like the idea of tourism as it provides cash flow for very little outlay. Tourists bring in money and and don't take any money out. This leaves you with the problem of the off season. NO cash flow.

Where we live, we offset this with local craftsman. With the invention of the internet, many people have found a global market for quality products. We don't even try to compete with the local super mega-malls. They sell cheap low-end items to the masses.

Tradesman can co-op thier products into one internet store. This allows you to get the lowest price for shipping and shipping supplies. Overhead is always an issue. We have found that customers like to one-stop shop.

example: I am looking for highland art. I want a store were I can buy artwork, along with say, an embroidered sweatshirt. I only have to pay one shipping charge.

People come to our farm to not only buy organic eggs, but they can get fresh goats milk and gourmet cheeses. We also keep organic chickens, ducks and geese in the freezers. We get twice as much for our products than the grocery stores do. Customers will pay for quality.

So yes, tourism can be exploited for the good of all as long as there is a solid foundation of business to fall back on.

But then again, I maybe completely wrong.

Cheers

Bob