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?

The thing is, nearly all our customers come from the UK and, I would say, about 2/3rds come from the Midlands upwards in England. We get few from NI (probably too far and they have their own lovely landscape and scenery) and few from Wales (ditto) but loads from the industrialised bits of England - Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and surrounding areas. We are not so worried about our business in Edinburgh - we will still have Canadians, Americans etc. (although, our guests arriving tomorrow are worried about civil unrest).

But, in the further reaches of Scotland, I think it will be difficult. You can always fill August, and July, and even New Year. I suspect there are some weeks where we have 5 or more people wanting the week and it will still be full. However, our business operates at capacity currently for 42-45 weeks a year. I suspect that the people who come in late October or January might be thinner on the ground. They tend to be older, often more cautious (I know I am stereotyping) and there may only be 1 person interested in the week so it only relies on that 1 person changing their mind and we are empty.

Tourism will still look busy in Edinburgh, Perthshire, around the golf I suspect. But the small operators, renting one cottage, taking in a bit of B&B, they will suffer with even the smallest downturn. Look what happened during foot and mouth. Also, during other times with problems (ie it rains a lot in England) we used to get cancellations when we owned an hotel. These "soft" tourists (soft as in they are not committed to a place, or even time) will go, leaving only the most determined.

Just to clarify, I was responding to some of the posts upthread about negative coverage in the US. There has been very little. Also Americans expect that there will be some nastiness in political campaigns; we are in election season now and we are pretty immune to vitriol in campaigns, due to our homegrown varieties.

Purely anecdotal, but the last two self-catering rentals we took in Scotland, one in Edinburgh and one in a remote area of the Hebrides, were both owned by English people.

A difficult situation for you Roseformeplease and one where I suspect many of those not living or working in the central belt would agree. Farming and tourism industries have the potential to be harder hit than others in any economic downturn many being on a knife edge at the best of times. If there were to be a Yes vote and the economy took a real thumping in areas where the population had voted against secession it wouldn't be very pleasant for anybody.

Purely anecdotal, but the last two self-catering rentals we took in Scotland, one in Edinburgh and one in a remote area of the Hebrides, were both owned by English people.

I take the points you made but in relation to the above what would happen if the people concerned decided to pull out because they wanted to minimise their risk?

Who owns the property is not much of an issue, given that most booking is done online nowadays. You can't tell my ethnicity from my posting.

Well I'd be v happy to visit an independent Scotland, maybe some people from uk and beyond will be more likely to visit following independence.

I would never dream of visiting Republic of Ireland because, you know, you have to use a passport to get there! Ah!

Joking aside, it seems absurd to use this as an excuse to not visit a 'foreign' country.

And you know if theres a yes vote, i guess the welsh tourist industry can learn from how the scots manage to develop their tourist industry, (as im confident they will) , because Wales might be next.

The tourist industry will boom when we have our own mock pound that won't be worth shit.

Or perhaps not if goods in shops will be so expensive.

In Scotland we have bloody wonderful nature. Best in the world. And standing stones, bronze age burials... Sadly it comes across as 'there it is, off you go, oh there's a tourist tat shop cum garden centre down the road selling plastic nessies'. The tourist industry needs help.

Today 09:13 DaughterDilemma

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.

Nothing like a but of racism is there!!!

*bit

and it should say 'stereotyping and racism.

IrnBruTheNoo have you got a new passport recently? They are about £70 and would be a significant cost to those for whom the best they can hope for is a few days in a tent or caravan. They will go somewhere else. I have plenty of colleagues who don't have passports because they don't travel apart from within the UK.

I'd agree with you nicename. Those damned plastic nessies with their stuck on tartan and velvet caps and those blasted troll things with tartan trews. Somewhere between revolting and embarrassing with a bit of added price rip off for good measure.

The tourist industry does need help it's just that I have had no evidence that the SNP care much for anyone outside their voting heartland which is the central belt. (Unless there might be a slice of some grant to give away or a ministerial jolly/photo-opp in a pleasant location because those are usually good for at least half a million.)

And in any case they would not have the money to do anything even if the will was there. In the cuts that would come after a Yes vote I suspect the industry would be on its own once the few bits of bread had been given out and the couple of circuses had been held. (If the SNP view prevailed tomorrow there would possibly be some immediate dole out of 'goodies' to keep the population content for a little.)

I should exclude by the way the tourist industry in the Western and Northern Isles. Those locations would continue to be carefully and gently stroked in case they found any more recoverable gas or O.I.L. and decided to secede themselves. The industry there would do just fine although it would be a shame about the rest.

In Scotland we have bloody wonderful nature. Best in the world. And standing stones, bronze age burials... Sadly it comes across as 'there it is, off you go, oh there's a tourist tat shop cum garden centre down the road selling plastic nessies'. The tourist industry needs help.

I also agree with this.

Even Glasgow is looking an absolute tip weeks after the CWG have finished.

Tourists might come initially, but if it isn't up to high expectations (Americans especially), they won't come back. A good tourism industry must be invested in, and there won't be the money in the first few years of an independent Scotland to spend on tourism.

I don't know how I feel about this. It is certainly a consideration as I have family and friends in Scotland. They are almost all voting no and have experienced a fair bit of abuse over it. Their accents have on occasion caused similar in the past but nothing like the last couple of months. A no vote combined with an English accent has made them targets. I'd be lying if I said this didn't make me think twice about visiting. There has certainly been bad behaviour on both sides of the debate but some of those acting on behalf of the yes campaign have been despicable at times. I can only comment on the basis of what my friends and family have said though, others will have experienced different.

I guess I will just see how it goes after this week. I hope it all dies down quickly whatever the result.

No, Scotland won't suffer lack of tourists. There may be English tourists who stay away, but there will be plenty more who holiday there.
in fact I can see US visitors in particular being more interested in visiting Scotland if it becomes an Independent country.

Earth

That isn't racism. English people are not a race.

Though it is a tired old trope. As is the idea that England pay for everything for everyone in the rest of the United Kingdom.

OP i think Yabu -

I don't think tourism will be affected particularly. Scotland's international profile will if anything, be raised regardless of the result.

Oh and the anti English thing has been hugely exaggerated. It always surprises me that certain types of English people expect to be loved and revered everywhere they go. Oh, and I'm part english by the way..

Celticlass2

Visiting a country which has had no continuing investment for services and a population who are under cuts to the extent that they can no longer provide accommodation food and entertainment of an acceptable standard? I'm afraid that beautiful scenery heritage and wildlife would only take you so far and that in the absence of decent service provision and spare cash you would tragically be following the example of those who tried to build the big new hotel-towns in Spain etc which are now covered by drifting tumbleweeds.

You may laugh at this but remember that to be successful a tourist industry above all needs to be consistent. You might achieve a short flurry of people coming out of interest but that wouldn't last unless you translated that one visit into multiple and year round tourist returns.

Some really consistently thumpingly good exchange rates might encourage more it's true but that scenario would be rather hard on the rest of Scotland who would suffer the importing consequences.

onenightI don't share your view that an Independent Scotland will be impoverished with no investment, so for me your point is a moot one.

Genuinely don't get the English government begging the scots to stay

For the moment Scotland is still part of the UK - and Westminster is the UK Government - and not the English Government! ...shakes head.

And as to your question - its simple - despite Scotland receiving £1200 more per head of population than the rest of the UK, they more than contribute enough "into the pot" to cover this, no matter what the Daily Mail tries to make people think.

celticlass you are yet another person who lives in Scotland and has absolutely no comprehension of the damage this referendum has done to tourism from, by far the biggest travellers to Scotland, ie the English.

I don't doubt it hasn't adversely affected those from other countries but is that really enough to counter the loss of rUK income?

I might be wrong but I don't recall a single post on this thread that has said, yes, I will definitely chose to holiday in Scotland above anywhere else on the back of the referendum...but plenty of people have said they'd think twice.

Your opinion Bear nothing more.