||| FROM UZEK SUSOL |||


I’m pondering & looking to understand the push for more Tourism & the people that say we (year round locals) need them to survive. We (year round locals) have no available/affordable rentals, most went to vacation rentals, ferries are jammed/difficult for locals to travel for medical appointments off island/supplies/work related off island runs, town is getting to be like Disneyland in summer, jammed. All of the above makes locals strain under the above weight.
I understand that if you chose to make your business is tourism geared then you need tourists but if you as a tourist geared business can’t support yourself, need to start go fund me’s to sustain a tourist geared business, struggle to find employee housing, put your employees in tents & camp trailers littered about or have to bring transient employees from off island then I’m just not understanding why you would keep putting all your eggs in that basket then push for more tourism. How do tourists affect you in a positive way if you are a carpenter, plumber, contractor, electrician, roofer, concrete/foundation installer, septic installer, well driller, carpet/tile installer, teacher, daycare worker, auto mechanic, marine mechanic, airplane mechanic, equipment operator, garbageman, county employee, truck driver, landscaper, painter, hardware store employee, tree service, caretaker, medical professional, dentist, chiropractor, physical therapist, utilities employee, therapist, hair stylist, office worker, accountant, bookkeeper, police officer, firefighter, doctor, nurse, paramedic, vet, massage therapist, the list goes on…
Curious to what peoples thoughts are. No hate for the tourists, they are here & will always be, we are all tourists at one time or another in someone else’s Community. Just wondering if more tourists & more tourist-based business is the answer to our local Community sustainability? 
  1. What are the advantages of tourism to Orcas Island for the year round locals?
  2. What are the disadvantages of tourists for the year round locals?
  3. What do tourists do to make Orcas a better place or bring to Orcas?
  4. What is the percentage of year round locals that benefit or rely on their income from tourists that don’t reach out to their community for financial support due to lack of income form the tourism based industry?
Jan 2024 WSF stated in their WSF Service Contingency Plan: “Washington State Ferries (WSF) has released its new “Ferry Service Contingency Plan,” which details how it will move forward providing service with a lack of vessels and an “unprecedented” staffing shortage. The goal is to make ferry schedules more reliable, but it comes with reduced service. The significant challenges that the current service reductions present to WSF customers is real, especially those who live in ferry-dependent communities and rely on WSF as their only mode of transportation”.
For local businesses that rely on tourist based seasonal income, is now a good time to look into putting some eggs in a local sustainable basket as WSF has said the ferry service will only get worse until 2030?


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