Tourism in Shetland
Tourism is not just an “extra” sector. In island economies, it often supports jobs, small businesses, cultural activity, and year-round services. In Shetland, it is also closely tied to what the place is — landscape, wildlife, heritage, and a sense of remoteness.
This section does not treat tourism as a marketing exercise. It treats it as an economy with real dependencies and real limits — and asks what must be protected if tourism is to remain viable.
What tourism depends on
- Landscape and views
- Wildlife, nature, and quietness
- Cultural distinctiveness and heritage
- Access (ferries, flights, roads) that works reliably
- Accommodation and services that remain local and humane
What can weaken it
- Industrialisation of land and sea
- Infrastructure built for export-scale projects rather than local life
- Seasonal crowding and strain on local services
- “Value leakage” where profits leave Shetland
- Loss of trust when decisions feel remote and irreversible
A key tension
Some forms of development are compatible with tourism. Some are not.
Tourism is a long-term economy built on place-quality. Industrial development can bring short-term activity — but can also permanently change the place being sold.
How Shetland First approaches it
Calm questions, not slogans:
- What is being changed, and is it reversible?
- Who decides, on what authority, and with what consent?
- Who benefits, who bears costs, and who carries risk?
- What is assumed rather than evidenced?
Evidence and sources
Where this section refers to records, decisions, or documentary foundations, Shetland First links to TSNS evidence indexing.