Researchers who analyzed AirBnB rental data before and after construction of the Block Island Wind Farm have found that, contrary to some concerns, the turbines have been linked with increased tourism on the island.

Corey Lang, URI associate professor of environmental economics, and doctoral student Andrew Carr-Harris, said that many coastal communities that rely on tourism to sustain their economy have worried that offshore wind farms would negatively affect tourism.

«It’s a common argument for pushback against siting offshore wind, but there isn’t a lot of empirical evidence about it one way or the other,» said Lang. «There have been surveys done assessing how tourists might feel about it, based on potential images of turbines in offshore waters, but those are hypothetical.»

«»Some of the recent surveys suggest that people consider offshore wind farms to be an eyesore,» said Carr-Harris. «People tend to think the turbines will ruin the seascape and detract from their beach experience.»

The researchers collected lodging data from AirBnB to examine trends in monthly revenues, occupancy rates and reservations from roughly two years before construction of the turbines to one year after construction was completed. They compared AirBnB rental trends in Block Island to those in nearby communities that are also dependent on summer vacation rentals — Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket.

The results were almost entirely positive for the peak summer months of July and August, and there were no noticeable effects during the rest of the year.

Story Source: Materials provided by University of Rhode Island. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.