David Knight: We need to learn from visitors looking past Aberdeen roadworks to back city’s reinvention |
Cruise passengers pouring off boats in Aberdeen’s south harbour are apparently quite laid back over the city being all at sea with roadworks problems.
There is a lot lying in their path right now as they hit the city for sightseeing.
Speciality tourist trips are also a big thing: just look at those tragic bird-watching, tip-visiting wildlife enthusiasts stranded on that hantavirus cruise ship.
If there was a niche tourist market for people who love major road works, then surely Aberdeen would be high up on the list.
The Union Street/Market and Castlegate redevelopments being two “star attractions” – if you were really into ticking off civil engineering projects on your tour itinerary.
Yet things are not as bad as they seem: it’s not all doom and gloom.
When foreign cruise tourists cross my path, I fear they might recoil in horror – not at me, but at some of the building works and disruption all around.
Does this distract from the things of beauty which are so dear to us? Seemingly not.
When asked, P&J reporters discovered that many visitors took it in their stride and treated such disruption positively.
They viewed messy roads and building works as an encouraging sign that the city was........