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

[Everythingisnumbersnow]

I try with the language, I try not to get in people's way, I tip and I don't complain.

But everything still feels much more hostile than it used to.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

👍

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.

Around the world, the English are not well liked.

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

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

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

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)

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

It’s universal.

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

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.

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.

No it's not, I have Scandinavian family and friends and that's not how the British are perceived by them.

How would you possibly know what everyone person in every country thinks.

That's not how the English are perceived I should add.

So you are Scottish, I wouldn't describe that as a typical English look, it depends where you are in the country. In the south east of England I don't think that is 'typical' at all.

I don’t think I’ve travelled particularly off the beaten track, but in the last two years I’ve been to Spanish islands, mainland Spain, Italy (3 times), Germany, France (about 6 times!), Sweden, and I’ve not come across anyone being rude, the opposite. Some gentle ribbing over sports, but no hostility, excellent service.

You sound a bit rude not saying hello as you walk into a shop, do you do this at home? Perhaps if it’s happening everywhere you go, it might not be a problem with other people and you might need to look closer to home?

I have always found that people are interested in taking to me about one thing in particular when they find out I am British because we are still central to something the global religion of football

even in the US on my recent trips people want to talk to me about football

I don’t even particularly like football or follow a team and I’m not wearing anything that suggests I am a supporter

I think parta of spain hate all tourists now.

I went to Barcelona give years ago. I found it to be a very friendly place.

I went to Barcelona last year and it was totally different. I really felt hatred radiating towards me.

You can really feel the hate.

I got chatting to an Irish man at an international meetup. He told me he had moved to Barcelona to work there. I said "how's it going"

He said "I really feel like they hate me. I can feel hatred coming at me".

I felt that too. It's like they really don't want any foreigners there.

Can't stop laughing 😂

Yes I think many places are getting tired of having so many tourists

we have been moaning about it for a good 30 years too many bloody tourist standing on the wrong side of the escalator is probably the number 1 moan about tourists in London

we polity ask them to step aside in a strained voice but other Brits can see we are absolutely seething 😡

Last year I found about 1 in a 100 Europeans were (unecessarily) rude/unpleasant.

Which is roughly the same experience as I have here in the UK.