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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Tourists exodus today relieved

840 replies

justasking111 · 30/08/2021 09:16

Well it's over today the tsunami of tourists will be gone.

We have never experienced such, rudeness, aggressive behaviour from them as we have this summer. Our businesses have limped along short staffed, been abused, threatened as have locals. The littering has been something else.

I know everyone has had a bad year but so have the Welsh our lockdowns harder and longer than others.

We still wear masks in shops fgs

So hopefully you all had good holidays but glad of a bit of peace now

OP posts:
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7
IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 30/08/2021 11:47

I live in a tourist hotspot and nice tourists are great. Fantastic. Very welcome indeed. Please spend your money here Grin

The ones who talk to you like you're shit, park illegally and block everyone because they don't want to pay a bloody fiver to park, leave empty cans, bottles, packets and shitty nappies in car parks, on grass verges, in fields and moorland, chuck their crap out of their car windows, use disposable bbqs in the moors and leave them and often start a bloody fire and so on can and should fuck right off.

OhWhyNot · 30/08/2021 11:48

And what would be wrong in people wanting government funding in areas that they have invested so little in for many years

Tourism has pros and cons but governments shouldn’t rely on tourists money so they don’t have to invest so much for locals which has unfortunately happened

Heliachi · 30/08/2021 11:48

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zafar · 30/08/2021 11:49

Just heading out now with my notebook and pen to play “spot the tourist” in and around South Ken....

“Oh my god.. someone with a different accent pushed someone in a queue Shock. Outrage! “We” will be glad when “the tourists” have gone in Sept .... oh wait..,”

“Quick, log it on MN. Someone - who may not be one of “us” - acting miffed in a restaurant Shock. Send them all home, I say!”

“What’s this now.., traffic on “ our” roads Shock. “They” need to stay on “their” roads.”

proopher · 30/08/2021 11:49

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

I live in a tourist hotspot and nice tourists are great. Fantastic. Very welcome indeed. Please spend your money here Grin

The ones who talk to you like you're shit, park illegally and block everyone because they don't want to pay a bloody fiver to park, leave empty cans, bottles, packets and shitty nappies in car parks, on grass verges, in fields and moorland, chuck their crap out of their car windows, use disposable bbqs in the moors and leave them and often start a bloody fire and so on can and should fuck right off.

This exactly!

Those getting oh so defensive might want to have a sit down and think about which kind of tourist they are!

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 30/08/2021 11:49

@OhWhyNot

RockingMyFiftiesNot* I don’t need to defend myself as I know I am polite and respectful

But I can also understand having visited places that are quite apart from the summer months that locals get fed up with all of us - yes we bring money but just our numbers can be annoying and that some of us are not so nice

Are people to be grateful always of course not people are allowed to be fed up with us tourists to think not is entitled

Some fair comments. And the second time I've been called entitled on this thread which makes me feel awful, and not particularly enthusiastic about holidaying in the UK.
Heliachi · 30/08/2021 11:50

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naturealwayswins · 30/08/2021 11:50

So many sweeping generalisations.Confused

I'm not offended by the OP because I know I'm not one of the rude or aggressive tourists being criticised.
Nor am I going to stop spending holidays in the UK because of her post, unlike some PPs.

We spent a couple of weeks in north-east Scotland a few months ago and had a lovely time.

It's interesting to see the contrasting comments about tourists abroad. Are the French and Spanish visitors appalling, as some have experienced, or are all EU tourists lovely and polite?

OhWhyNot · 30/08/2021 11:51

Sonarl that’s true the prices in London are ridiculous as with other large cities

But we have had investment in many parts of London, there are jobs around as we have many industries within London. It’s not perfect but there is more opportunities for work in larger cities

category12 · 30/08/2021 11:51

The anti-second home crowd are just envious.

It's not envy, it's being pissed off that you're getting priced out of where you grew up while perfectly good housing stands empty most of the year and villages have the heart ripped out of them.

Blossomtoes · 30/08/2021 11:51

The anti-second home crowd are just envious

The MN standard response. Nothing to do with local people being priced out of the housing market, schools closing, the waste of properties standing empty half the year. Just envy. 🙄

MysteriousMonkey · 30/08/2021 11:52

Surely we are all tourists, well the majority of us. We've probably all been on holiday at some point? I live in a popular tourist destination and do lots of lighthearted moaning with my husband about traffic and things, but honestly I'm glad people are having holidays again.

That said, I do think in general people are a bit more short tempered, rude and easily annoyed than pre covid - and I include myself in that.

Blanketpolicy · 30/08/2021 11:52

The pandemic has shown the worst in many people. Whether it is at home in the local supermarket or in tourist areas, which were trying to handle significantly more people than normal, where the effect will be magnified.

@justasking111 enjoy getting back to normality.

MrsDThomas · 30/08/2021 11:53

@lorca some hospitality establishments still require you to wear a mask. May not be mandatory but they can still use that rule. This is where arrogance comes in by some people.

TheWayTheLightFalls · 30/08/2021 11:54

We usually holiday abroad but "did" Kent and Pembrokeshire this year. I don't recognise a lot of what I'm reading here - yes, staff and visitors were perhaps noticeably more embattled/frayed but it's not a surprise really, after the year we've all had, and actually in most places people in hospitality did their best by us. DH never wants to see the UK coast again but I'm a quiet convert.

Tooembarrassingtomention · 30/08/2021 11:54

2 bed flat on our road, family lived there for 7 years. Overseas landlord said they wanted to sell fair enough. Family moved out- it is an Airbnb. Letting for 4, there are 10 in it at the moment. Arrived with their food and drink

Last night they had tables and chairs on the pavement-blocking it and drinking. Really loud screeching.

18 months ago this was a no public alcohol zone-but relaxed due to cv19

One example of why locals are exasperated this summer

Sonarl · 30/08/2021 11:55

You think Cornwall hasn't also had a lot of investment? Have you been there recently? The high streets are a lot more vibrant and booming than most in London at the moment, let me tell you.

Heliachi · 30/08/2021 11:55

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MrsVeryTired · 30/08/2021 11:55

Totally agree OP, we holiday in the UK every summer, usually in touristy areas. We have noticed a definite increase in rudeness and selfish attitudes from some holidaymakers. I think everyone complaining "we're not all like that" are missing an important point. If you get 10 polite customers and 1 rude/threatening aggressive one then obviously that one is going to be the memorable one. Being sworn and shouted at even once a day is one time too many.

The UK is a small country and places get busy, especially tourist hotspots and cities, if you are so impatient you can't queue without swearing at people then you shouldn't be welcome anywhere tbh.

DirtyDancing · 30/08/2021 11:55

I'll be shot down in flames, but OP I can imagine where you are coming from. I didn't go away this summer and am England based, so not and offender or precious about Wales. However, the way people respond to people both in life and online these days is shocking. For every polite and respectful person, there are so many rude people out there. I can believe it, when you say how bad behaviour is. Get it off your chest, I really don't blame you, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of some folk, in a service sector.

mrsevangelina · 30/08/2021 11:56

Shrug. That's life.

Jesus. What a dick.

makingmyway10 · 30/08/2021 11:56

@KaycePollard. I am not sanctimonious or smug quite the opposite. I am grateful to be able to have a second home. I pay council rates, water rates and donate to local charities even when I am not on ‘one of the few weekends a year I spend there’ You have no idea how much time I spend there Hmm
I sympathise with the difficulties of any person not able to buy a home but my buying a second home will not change the situation. Anyone else could have bought it to rent out at an extortionate rate maybe or as a holiday let.

You might not agree with second homes but it not illegal to buy one and I do the most I can to add to the local economy and community.

I think it is rather more sanctimonious to live in a beautiful area and believe that no one else can visit it.

OhWhyNot · 30/08/2021 11:56

Can a single parent or a family on a low income just suddenly pack up and move to a city. It’s incredibly hard to do and if in social housing will there be a swap to a city with a job lined up

It’s not that people pick and choose where they live it’s where their families are their support networks where they have built a life

Not everyone feels they can just move, have the money or the confidence to do this

Many have to in extreme cases but not through choice

Surely living in a small town there should be investment so people can work to allow a comfortable life

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 30/08/2021 11:57

I'm in a tourist hotspot too. Town and beach rammed full of people. I usually love summer, the tourists are great. This how I made money as a teen, working in the tourist industry.
Now my job has nothing to do with tourism.
Sadly this years tourists are a different breed. Not our usual lovely people, but ones who are quite vile at times. and the mess they are leaving is horrible.
I'd hate to see what mess they live in if this is how they treat our area.
With schools back this week for most. We will use the oppotunity to enjoy the area ourselves before the weather changes. They'll still be some tourists around as always, but hopefully they are the nice usual ones.

KaycePollard · 30/08/2021 11:57

OMG don't get me started on the disposable barbecues left all over the beaches. And that's after they've bathed everyone in their smoke. And the litter.

Some people really are pigs.