Wind energy development in Iceland: the contrasting views of tourists, residents, and tourism service providers

Understanding stakeholder attitudes towards wind energy generation is crucial for a successful energy transition. This study investigated the views of tourists, residents, and tourism service providers on wind energy development, its compatibility with tourism, and its suitability in various settings in Iceland. The project was based on 2,642 responses gathered through questionnaire surveys. The findings showed that stakeholders were less positive towards the use of wind energy compared to other renewables, with tourists being the most positive and tourism service providers being the most negative. Attitudes were positively related to the perceived urgency of addressing climate change. Similarly, the perceived compatibility of wind farms with tourism in Iceland was highest among tourists and lowest among tourism service providers. Significant differences were observed in the perceptions of the three stakeholder groups regarding the suitability of wind farms in various settings, underscoring the importance of incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives to enable socially acceptable and sustainable wind energy development.