To feel a bit like everyone hates me when I'm a British tourist in Europe now

I speak French and German fluently, but whenever I go to any country in Europe, people always think I am Danish or Dutch. Whenever I have asked people why they think this, the answer is that they can tell that I am not a native speaker, but they can't place my accent. Also, apparently I look Danish, which surprises me, since I am part Irish part Jamaican, and have type 4b red hair.

To stereotype people? Sadly it is.
However, in my travels in Europe and beyond, I've found a huge amount of diversity, but mostly welcoming, friendly, non prejudiced people.

So why say Scunthorpe then if you are railing against snobbery ?

It’s universal.

Spot on, @ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea , most of us don't have that experience at all.

If MN is anything to go by, I kind of agree with this. So many posters looking down on 'Brits abroad', threads about avoiding such people even though they are British people off abroad themselves.

And then the total paranoia of continental Europe hating us, whether down to Brexit, some forgotten horrors in the distant past, or just because of the behaviour of the occasional family from Scunthorpe!*

Meanwhile in actual Europe I've never encountered any difficulties and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

(* or any other random UK town)

I suppose it depends where you travel. I haven't found those limited, stereotyped attitudes.

Yeah but why try and add some nuance when the"poor Brits are victims" narrative is so satisfying.

Around the world, the English are not well liked.

Seen as fussy, overly formal, overly polite, too reserved and insular.

I wonder if this is something you are specifically looking out for OP, maybe after reading some of the media reports? Often if people are expecting a particular kind of behaviour they are ultra sensitive to other's actions. Have you noticed whether those people you think are less than friendly towards you, are the same towards other tourists eg those from the US, Netherlands, Japan?
Do you also get that vibe in other areas of the UK, eg Cornwall, Wales, where there have also been media reports of locals being unhappy about tourists?

My understanding of the demonstrations in Spain last year was that they are not so much against the tourists themselves but asking for the government to take more action in respect of holiday rentals making it harder for local people to find homes (which I think the govt are now hoping to bring action) or objections in particular places where cruise ships result in many thousands of extra people in certain places.

👍

I don't think it's as simple as, 'they don't like us'. The problem in a lot of places where there have been protests is down to the sheer volume of people descending upon areas where the infrastructure cannot cope, and local government pushing for more and more.

The 'we are paying their wages' argument would have been all well and good when most of the hotels and businesses were locally owned. The problem now is that in some areas where the biggest local pushback is, the locals aren't making the money any more. International corporations are, and the locals are the ones working ridiculous hours for shit wages.

The rise of all-inclusive chain hotels has resulted in some areas being swamped with tourists, but very little of their money actually going into the local economy. It's one thing putting up with (and in some cases actively encouraging) the drunken idiots when everybody's making money hand over fist, but it is an entirely different kettle of fish when there's more and more people with less and less local benefit.

Some areas are suffering water shortages, massive strain on emergency services, roads not coping with the huge amount of traffic. The cost of this will be born by the locals, and it's a heavy price to pay for the minimum wages and long hours of the industry.

It's not really the tourist's fault that some destinations have reached saturation point, but they've become the target of local frustrations. Frustration at yet another massive hotel being built to price smaller, local concerns out of the market, whilst adding to load on the public infrastructure. Yet more Airbnbs that, despite the ads promoting staying with a friendly local for that 'real' experience are more likely to be owned by someone from abroad these days. Not dissimilar to the 'holiday let' problem here affecting the housing market and shoving up prices for locals.

A lot of this can be laid at the door of government greed and the mistaken 'eggs in one basket' economical approach.

It's all got too big. It's a 'can't live with it, can't live without it' situation. It's no excuse for water pistols, etc, fired at some perfectly decent person who's just come for a nice holiday, but I get why that's how some have chosen to protest.

Firstly, thank you for accepting that my story is true. I was worried that some people might think I’d made the whole thing up.

Secondly, it’s clear that OP is not making it obvious enough that she is Scottish. KarminaBurana has advised me to wear a Tam-o-shanter with the messy ginger wig attached when next abroad in order to avoid unpleasantness, and I think OP should do the same.

Where do you live @Lurkingandlearning ? That is a million miles away from my normal interactions.

That describes interactions I have almost every day without travelling anywhere. I think people have got far less tolerant, friendly etc everywhere.

Not all people of course. Thankfully. But I used to be surprised if people were shitty, now I’m surprised and disproportionally delighted when they are not.

A Scottish person is also British for people inside the UK too, it's just the Scots don't like referring to themselves that way.

UK = England, N Ireland, Scotland, Wales
Britain = England, Scotland, Wales.

But aside from that, I haven't experienced what you've experienced. I've never had a problem anywhere in mainland Europe, and I've been to most countries.

Sorry but that's simply not true, I think we just have a good reputation abroad, simple as!

It depends what part of Europe you are referencing. The OP has used 'Europe' in the title but I know from family in Denmark they don't mind the British or the English, they like the sense of humour.

The OP has said she is Scottish so the warm welcome hasn't been afforded her by all accounts.

I feel like this too. I feel embarrassed that I’m English when I’m abroad, it shouldn’t be like this should it x

But the OP said she's/he's Scottish so why is the spot the English anecdote relevant?

So OP further up thread when you were describing your typical Brit looks, "round face...etc." you are Scottish? This was the point I was trying to make, London population alone has over 8.7 million people, Scotland's whole population is 5.4 million, therefore if you brought up in London and live in the south east so further increasing the diversity of people you know then this 'typical' Brit stereotype looks wise is at least unlikely to be true! Anecdotally my friendship group is really diverse, only one person with English white heritage going back centuries both sides!

Perhaps it's worthwhile investing in Saltire sweatbands and clothing, and wearing those comedy Tam-o-shanters with the messy ginger wigs attached.
Apologies if that is your regular hairstyle and head gear.

I remember we spoke Spanish in Lanzarote to the car hire person and she was delighted and said it was so rare for an English person to try. I mean how hard is it to say hello etc

post brexit I think we will be seen as different and we deserve it

While on holiday in Spain last year, DH and I went to a restaurant on our first night there. DH’s beer belly and flip-flops must have alerted the staff to the fact that we were British as they shouted “fuck off home, you English bastards” at us and then started squirting us with water pistols. I pointed out that we were actually Scottish, and they immediately put away their water pistols and garlanded us with flowers instead. The same thing happened to us at every restaurant we visited.

Welsh is a Celtic language.