Impact Study of Wind Power on Tourism on Gotland

This study investigates the impact of wind power on tourism on Gotland. The main objective is to identify how tourists on Gotland during their holidaying perceive the visual features associated with wind turbines in the landscape. Additionally, it is sought to establish whether tourists plan to return to Gotland despite the presence of wind power installations, with a special focus on first-time tourists. Using a structured questionnaire technique on a sample size of 735 respondents, this study reveals that 8% of tourists perceive wind turbines negatively. Next, the study identifies that the decision to return to Gotland of absolute majority of tourists, including first-time visiting tourists, is not impacted by the presence of wind turbines. Lastly, it has been concluded that a potential on the island exists to develop a form of ¿wind power tourism¿.