The slow moving magnanimous wind turbines have become a symbol of sustainable development. They have been blamed by people for being eye sores. Many said that they destroyed the beauty of a landscape. But ultimately through surveys it was found out that the popular opinion about wind turbines is highly positive. People loved to see them.
Just after this was proved many tourist spots that had wind turbines decided to capitalize upon it. They started including wind turbines in their region’s list of tourist attractions and they also started organizing guided tours to them. Their efforts yielded bounteous fruits and their ventures were successful.
Now it has become an established fact that wind turbines are capable of boosting tourism. Let’s take a look at a few of the success stories associated with them.
- Wind Farm of Ilocos Norte, Philippines
These 75m tall wind turbines stand along the cost of Philippines. They have become an inseparable part of tourist attractions in the region. They are part of a 600 hectare wind farm by Energy Development Corp (EDC) which is the largest wind farm in the region. Technical tours as well as guided tours have been organized in this region. Buses are available that can take the tourist to nearby hills from where they can behold the towering giants.
- Wind Turbines at North Palm Springs, California
North Palm Springs houses few of the oldest wind turbines of US. A 90 minutes guided tour of this region costs about 35$. So far this tour has been successful as this region attracts plenty of tourists each year. The hotels and Inns in the region highlight the wind turbines as their prime tourist attraction.
- Whitlee Wind Farm, Scotland
Whitlee Wind Farm is Europe’s largest in land wind farm. It has been surrounded by controversies as many natives believe that this wind farm has destroyed the natural outlook of the region. But the tourists in the region corroborate something very different. The region recorded nearly 250,000 visitors from 2009-2012. Many of them were students who went there on educational tours. In 2012 the managers of this wind farm agreed to enlist it as one of Scotland’s tourist attractions. A large number of people also use this region regularly for recreational purposes.
- Buffalo Mountain Project, Tennessee
Buffalo Mountain Project is one of the most visited tourist attractions in its region. It’s immensely popular. It won’t be hard for you to find hotels and restaurants dedicated solely to the wind turbines.
- Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm, Atlanta City, New Jersey
The 32 enormous wind turbines of Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm have completely transformed the Atlanta City’s landscape. And it isn’t without its result. This place has been receiving 15,000 tourists each year. It is the first coastal wind farm that was built in US.
Wind turbines are a part of Eco-Tourism. And Eco-Tourism has been showing a steady growth for the past few years. With growth ranging from 24% to 36% it has been one of the fastest growing sectors. And it is expected to grow even more in future.
People are becoming more aware of Eco-friendly ventures. They know that those gigantic pinwheels that hang in the sky are not for show, they provide electricity to millions of houses. And rising popularity of such things will be nothing less than a step in the direction of sustainable development.
