Will Nessie’s Death Kill Tourism in Loch Ness Region?

loch-ness1Today Gary at Ghost Theory posted “The end of Nessie: Researchers fear Loch Ness monster may be dead.”

Gary started off his article saying how, as a kid, the idea of the Loch Ness Monster fascinated him. Me too. But, also like Gary, the older I’ve gotten the less inclined I’ve been to believe something could exist that long and go undetected.

However, being the optimist that I am, I always held out hope that eventually something would turn up to explain Nessie. And, like many others, I hoped it would turn out to be some sort of dinosaur that miraculously survived extinction and then alluded people all these years…until science and technology finally found a way to either capture it or proof of its existence.

Well, my heart sunk reading that hope may now be lost altogether. The Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club’s president, Gary Campbell, reported only one credible sighting in 2009. The diminished sightings over the last few years, and that there was only one report last year, indicate to some Nessie experts and enthusiasts that means Nessie may be no more. MonsterQuest even did a show about it last year entitled “Death of Loch Ness.”

Yet the question many seem to be asking is not, “So what was Nessie?” or “Where are the remains?” but rather, “What does Nessie’s death mean for tourism in Scotland overall, and the Loch Ness region in particular?”

As Amy Willis pointed out in her article “The Loch Ness Monster – a money spinners dream”:

Thousands of tourists visit Loch Ness every year in the hope they might catch a glimpse of the beast. Few do. Yet so-called “monster” tours and “Nessie” museums are still as popular today as they were 50 years ago.

Big money is at stake. The Loch Ness monster, despite uncertainty about her existence, makes about £6million a year in tourism. Real animal attractions like Knut the polar bear make only £4million.

With those kinds of numbers, I can see why Nessie’s death would be concerning. However, here’s what I wonder:

  1. What if there’s something to the geomagnetic influence theory Autumnforest has recently proposed on Ghost Hunting Theories? (See “Geomagnetic Coincidences with World Events?” and “Geomagnetic Activity Continued”.) What if it pertains not just to paranormal activity like ghosts, but also to cryptozoological activity like that at Loch Ness and it’s because of that, not because Nessie’s dead, that explains the lack of sightings? As Autumnforest has explained, the geomagnetic activity has been quiet lately. When it picks back up again, maybe so will Nessie sightings?
  2. If people think there are remains to be found, why wouldn’t they search for them? Seems to me that’d still draw people in. Also, tour companies could reinvent themselves. Instead of taking people to try and spot Nessie, they could take people to Nessie’s possible resting places.
  3. Why not hold a Nessie memorial service? Then it could become an annual event. That would draw people back over and over again too.
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The way I see it, there’s still plenty of potential to make money off Nessie–or off her legacy at least. (See, there goes the optimist in me again!)

INTERESTING LOCH NESS MONSTER LINKS

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3 Comments

  1. Husband and I LOVE Scotland and Loch Ness – the region is breathtakingly beautiful. We head up there every few years to “look for Nessy” – it is great fun and we will continue to search for years to come!!! No stopping us!!!

    Cheers!

  2. Yeah, I’m probably of the never-lived/never-died category. I love the concept of Nessie. I think it’s done a lot for Scottish tourism. I don’t know why they need it; however, they live in a heavenly place with a crazy interesting history, but I do know my Celtic side of the family enjoys a big tale and honestly I’ve always put Loch Ness on my to-do list. No, not because I think there’s a prehistoric monster, but because, like Roswell, there’s nothing there–but there’s the tourism of it which intrigues me. I’d love to go sit in a pub, listen to stories by people renting trawlers and trying to find her, and stand on the loch at sunset and just imagine. It’s really dreams they’re selling. I hope Nessie isn’t “dead.” She’s a national treasure.

  3. That is SOOO cool, Frog Queen, that you’ve been there! I would love to go,Nessie or not, because just the pics I’ve seen look amazing. Besides, it’s Scotland for Pete’s Sake!

    Autumnforest, you crack me up. (What’s new?!) I think, once again, you hit the nail on the head. Some people enjoy telling big tales, and some enjoy listening/imagining…Nessie is a story that can’t help but live on. I’m still hoping she’ll resurface –though preferably not dead! (That’s the combo of the dreamer and optimist in me!)

    Thanks for the comments, ladies!

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