Rainfall tourism “could be a winner” as research shows it can treat depression, according to a leading journalist.
BBC nature writer Matt Gaw said it’s all about changing mindset and not falling victim to tropes peddled on TV that rain signifies doom and gloom.
He told The Hard Shoulder today that it can actually bring a “lightness and a joy to life,” among many other benefits.
“The science seems to back it up too,” he said.
“When it rains, there is something other than water in the air – there are negative ions, which are atmospheric molecules charged with electricity.
“You might find them around rivers, beaches, and mountains – places where air molecules are broken up by moving water.
“When it rains and when it rains hard, we are also getting negative ions which we can breathe in and transfer from blood to brain.”
Rainfall in Skibbereen, County Cork. Credit: Andy Gibson/Alamy Live NewsMr Gaw said these ions react with people in a positive way.
“There have been a lot of scientific reviews on this," he said.
“One said there seemed to be a lot of therapeutic effects to negative ions in treating depression and things like that.
“In films and books, you would always see characters crying if it rains outside but when it comes down to it when you get out there, it can be a really good experience.”
Tourism
Mr Gaw said rain could also be desirable for tourists in the future.
“I think it might work in some places, particularly in terms of the coast,” he said.
“It could be a winner; we look at coastal water bathing and how it has been used for tourism since Victorian times - rain could be the new one now.
“The thing is as well, when we have climate chaos, the sun might be something we need to avoid and maybe rain might be what we look for.”
In Ireland, it rains around 150 days a year along the east and southeast coasts, while it rains around 225 days a year in parts of the west.
Main image: A road in Ireland flooded from rain. Image: JLBvdWOLF / Alamy Stock Photo
