To think the Scottish tourism industry is going to be hugely affected by the referendum, whatever the outcome

[Bearbehind]

Just been reading some of the indyref threads and it made me think about the affect on Scottish tourism, mainly from English tourists,

I know it's only one factor in the grand scheme of things but it seems damned to me whatever the result.

There is such an anti English sentiment at the moment I don't think many English people will be rushing up there for a holiday will they?

But DD and Irn you have examples of people even on this thread who have faced anti-English sentiment and so have decided not to return. How can you say to someone they have not experienced what they clearly HAVE??

They might dispense with timewasters though who bring nothing to them but cheap labour and that can only be a good thing.

Are you already envisaging some sort of purge if there was to be a Yes vote DaughterDilemma? That's desperately negative thinking.

Silas I too haven't seen or felt any of this ill feeling when I have been up, no more than there used to be anyway. Perhaps when the English start paying their way and stop drawing on Scotland's resources people might feel more welcoming.

"I'm afraid that there are no guarantees and there will almost certainly be no 'independence' IrnBru."

Do you have a crystal ball?

(S shows it was registered in scotland, anything else isn't. In saying that, my dad's car is a k (Luton I think) because it got shipped up here because of the colour he wanted.)

Yanbu I don't think- but I can only give my very limited perspective and am sure that people more involved are far more qualified than me to answer .

But I'm welsh and have decided not to go to Scotland next year as a holiday with my family because of the anti English sentiment I perceive. I've had three scots ( in Cardiff) accost me for my opinion on the referendum and demand to know if I'm just an English loving lackey it's put me off. And we had our heart set on Scotland. It's only three people from a whole country though, but enough to stop me booking my holiday.

Even if the feeling is just the media misrepresenting the reality it will still have a negative impact though. ( and I'm sure the media are purposefully choosing the nutters to interview to represent the yes voters- I'm sure the people interviewed on the beeb are not representative)

How would you know where a car was registered?

All Scottish registered cars start with an S therefore if it doesn't start with an S it's not scottish

Oh yeah, I suppose dealership stickers...how bizarre though, I think my car's originally from an English dealership, I can't say I paid much attention, lol.

I mean, cars move about quite a bit when they're bought and sold.

I know that was a random tangent, I was just thinking, eh? How are cars registered in England different from ones registered in Scotland?

Last time we were in Scotland 2 years ago we had a few anti English comments. Been to Wales a few times and no one has ever commented on my accent. I cant afford a holiday at the moment, but would be very wary of going back, especially as a close friend of mine, living in Scotland, married to an Englishman, says that its hell up there at the moment and they are planning to move. She is very upset about the whole thing and says that she had a few comments over the years, but it has now turned nasty and even her kids are being targetted.

They start with an S?

How did I not know that?

I don't have a crystal ball Irnbru and that's why I don't think it's appropriate to gamble with other people's lives on potential illusions.

I am the lady with the holiday cottage, and its true. We also have foreign guests arriving in Edinburgh in a property we manage and they are very worried about civil unrest.

However, to put this in context - London had riots - people still travelled there, worked there and there was evidence on television of real criminal damage and harm to people and property. Compared to that, the dissent has been very minor. I wouldn't want to be wearing a badge on a pub in some areas of Scotland saying (Yes/No Thanks - delete as applicable) after people have had a few. However, the anti-English sentiment expressed by a few is there, but it is not terrible. Think about the racism in some areas of England - the anti-English sentiment still expressed in some areas of Wales. My father still fought the Wars of the Roses in his head and he was born in 1935. We all have our issues....

The campaign has been divisive and nasty and many of us wish it had never happened. But, you will be made very welcome here but all but a tiny minority who would probably find someone to abuse, whatever the circumstances.

I live in Scotland and heard of no anti English sentiment. I can't see tourism decreasing in Scotland it's to beautiful a country and we are a very friendly people. I personally don't like threads like this it can cause a lot of animosity.

Hmm I was born in Scotland,Scottish grandfather and lived there for a few years during my childhood encountering low grade racism at school.

I really wanted to take my kids and show them places I visited as I have some happy memories,Edinburgh etc but after seeing some of the shouty aggressive rhetoric I think we'll visit somewhere else.Whilst not exactly harmful I don't want my dc experiencing even the low grade stuff I did at their age.

Either way yes or no I don't think Scotland will be a welcoming place for the English.

rose your business will be fine once the referendum is over regardless of the result on Friday. Things always seem up in the air at these times, but once the dust settles everything will go back to 'normal' and people will come to Scotland as before. Just like they did after devolution in 1997!!

I'm in Scotland the " anti English " thing is bollocks.

The obvious loathing you see won't simply vanish into thin air.

jenny1969 last time I was in Wales I had my car vandalised because it had an English flag on the number plate, was on when I bought the car funny thing is originally the car was an import from abroad.

I visit family and was due to visit November but they are coming to us instead as they are worried. I have holidayed in Scotland all my life and generally the tourist places are 99.99 % very friendly and the chance of meeting a dick is the same as you would anywhere else.

I think the big difference for me between this and say the London riots is that the issue is specifically about English people potentially being made to feel unwelcome- the rioting areas were dangerous whatever your nationality.

People acting in unpleasant manners to other locals in front of foreign visitors - not helping.

Vandalising monuments and areas of natural beauty - not helping.

Sadly these things are happening. Being carried out by people whose dreams rest largely on tourism funding the economy. It's sad to see these people's need to make a short term point has clouded their ability to see the long term effects of their actions.

Definitely won't stop us going!

For the last few years every summer we've stopped off with mates in Glasgow and then gone on to share a house on one of the Hebridean Islands with other extended family bods and we've always had a lovely time and have great, warm memories of fantastic country side and friendly people ... So whatever happens tomorrow the seals aren't going to have the beaches to themselves next August!

I don't get the English number plate thing are we saying. Car was attacked perhaps as it was an English number plate, what nonsense

And perhaps people are forgetting the subtle racism that greets Scots in England and has done for years.

I haven't seen or heard any anti-english sentiments, if anything I have found it to be the other way around and have seen a lot of anti scotland sentiments online.

What do you mean by all Scottish cars start with S? I don't think that is true.