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?

It's always the same when there's a bit hype in politics, people worry (normal) and after the hype has died down, things will return to how they always were.

I need a passport to get to a foreign country but it doesn't stop me booking to visit there because of it. If you really want to see somewhere, a bit of drama over a referendum isn't going to sway someone if their heart is set on it.

I hope you're right IrnBru but my own fear is that it will not calm down in the large cities anyway because not only do the divisions now go deep but they are building upon prejudices and dislikes which might have already been there but which many of us had hoped were eventually dying down.

This will take an immense amount of work to sort out whatever the result of the vote tomorrow but I would rather that that attempt at reconciliation take place in at atmosphere which is not potentially poisoned by appalling financial and social instability.

I think that the country areas will probably be an easier task for those of you contemplating visiting.

Scotland is a different country anyway always has been we all live in different countries just we are part of a united country. Talking of bank notes I once handed over a clysdalebank tenner in the south of England the girl on the till rng for her supervisor they ummed and ahh ed put it to the light what a hooha so now I take my bank card and draw out money from an English cashpoint.

many nationalities holiday in Scotland why wouldn't they come after the referendum.

But this is about rUK tourists, specifically English ones, and domestic tourists account for by far the biggest proportion of Scotland's tourists.

It's hugely naive to assume it'll all be fine when, as this thread has shown, some people who would have chosen to holiday in Scotland, now might not.

My car isn't a Scottish car, all that shows is where it was originally registered. It's been out and about for 10 years without any issues until my back window was damaged ob Monday.

I'd like to think that was nothing to do either with the registration plate or the arrangement of yes stickers on it.

Who knows.

There is nothing anti English about wanting self determination.

But all this talk of civil unrest is ridiculous and making people scared.

a bit of drama over a referendum

I'm sorry IrnBru but do you really think that? This is changing the face of a country and whatever the outcome leaving half of its population against the other half and all of them probably hurting financially and socially. The Scots have very long memories.

justashop I already need to change my money in the bank if I visit England from Scotland.

my mother born in England, lives in Scotland has NEVER had a passport - why should she have to get one to go home...

I was born in England and raised by her in Scotland - I also will (presumably - it is all still a bit woolly) need to buy a passport - to go home....

A lot of people from the UK who holiday in the UK do not currently have passports.

MrsJay equally, Scottish, English and Welsh shops/bars have refused Northern Irish Sterling notes. There are cash machines in airports in NI that specifically dispense Bank of England notes for people going to rUK (from NI's perspective).

You won't need a passport.

And yy to Scottish notes not being accepted. Awful and happens all the time. I've been made to feel like a fraudster even in huge shops in London who accept payment in euros and dollars I've had issues using Scottish notes.

We chose not to go this year - went to Devon instead. We will have to see what happens with the referendum (social attitudes etc not the actual result) as to whether we'll go again in following years. It's a long way (for amazing scenery though!), but it's nice to feel welcome at your destination, especially if you have small children.

Yes, a lot of people 'holiday at home' to save money & because they feel putting money back into our economy is important. If they need passports for a family of 4 to go to Scotland, they wont bother, it's expensive! They'll go elsewhere. If passports are necessary there will be a huge impact on tourism. Even if they don't need passports, plenty of English & Welsh people will stay within the UK boundaries. Holidays AT HOME.

The irish travel between the 2 countries with out a passport dont they? Or am I talking rubbish

Ninja - the thing is the reporting hasn't been about anti-Englishness per se so that point is moot.
This thread specifically was about anti-Englishness, it seemed to be the relevant issue to many. Sadly, Americans seem to expect political campaigns to get rather nasty on a personal level so I'm not sure how much effect it will really have.

And the truth is, when my American step-father was filled in on the referendum last week his first question was 'how does this affect me?' and the answer of course was that it really doesn't.
Which seems to be the prevailing opinion here, from what I've seen.

you won't need a passport

Says who? That hasn't been confirmed has it?

Likewise having to change sterling notes issued by one bank to ones issued by another is very different to exchanging currency

I've been told to 'fuck off back to England'.

I'm Scottish (not even posh Scottish).

But, the number plate thing - I never knew that.

I always feel for the cashier Rita who might get into trouble for accepting a less usual note only to find it's counterfeit.

No need to feel a fraudster over it.

Some lovely insular views here though. Seems like the dislike wasn't far from the surface.

It irks me that "sterling" is not enough to prove that a banknote is legal tender, but equally I can see why shop assistants etc are put off. If you don't see a type of note frequently then you are going to be less likely to be able to judge whether it's real or forged, therefore your are more likely to query it/ reject it.

At the other end of the scale, I once saw lovely staff in a well known London museum having to explain to some Chinese tourists that no, unfortunately they could not accept payment for goods from the shop in the form of a wad of renminbi

The passport issue is complicated. It depends on the EU situation and that also depends on aligning immigration policies between the 2 nations (assuming a Yes and I am praying for a No). The Yes campaign assume EU membership will continue and the border with England will stay the same. However, they are touting an immigration policy that is not in line with that in the rest of the UK. Given that many people in some parts of Britain are uneasy about mass immigration, and many immigrants can't see past getting to London, it may be that a border is required to prevent people arriving to "settle" in Scotland and immediately driving to London or the South East.

I just think that anything that makes a country seem unwelcoming, different or any issues at all, affect tourism. After all, you don't HAVE to go on holiday and you don't HAVE to visit Scotland. You have to make that choice. I suspect people will find making that choice more difficult when they are thinking in the weeks and months after a Yes vote.

However, because No are, hopefully, going to win, there will be flood of bookings come Friday!

Bear I might be misreading but your tone is a bit aggressive

Some lovely insular views here though. Seems like the dislike wasn't far from the surface.

What insular views rita? I asked who'd said you won't need a passport to visit iScotland? That's not insular- it is a valid question which you didn't answer

Seems like the dislike wasn't far from the surface.

And that is more or less my point although I would remove 'the' from 'dislike'. I think there are many issues simmering beneath the surface in Scotland and I blame the parties concerned for allowing them to be reignited and take hold in many areas and walks of life.

It's not very different bear, it's having to change notes for no reason!

I'd also worry about car insurance - mine doesn't cover me for driving outside of the UK - holiday insurance - holiday-at-home-cover covers UK only... mobile phones - data roaming charges are higher outside of the UK ... there are lots of still "woolly" areas that have not been dealt with

• lots of reasons for holiday bookings to go down....

I hope No will win too... then I will book to go visit my mum without having to worry about the "what-ifs"