Has all this changed your opinion of tourist spots you used to love?

[Makeitgoaway]

There's one in particular that we used to visit for a few days several time a year. The last time was January and under normal circumstances we'd have been there this week.

Obviously we have no intention or desire to go there until the relevant restrictions are lifted but the venom being directed towards tourists and visitors by people fortunate enough to live in beautiful places is making me think it won't be comfortable there, we won't be welcome for a long time after restrictions are lifted. I understand people are scared etc but they also love to see us and our money in happier times and, I assume, do want tourists to return at some point.

Will you be rushing back to your favourite places to support their economies or will you wait?

It hasn't changed my opinion, but I think it will be a difficult transition back for some of these places. Some people will be wanting visitors back and othes won't and it won't always be logical. I can sympathise with their fears and their need to keep the local economy going.

Yes definitely. We go to a town along the south coast every year and the venom I have seen from some residents has really put me off.

They will want our money when this is all over. Some of them won't be getting it.

It hasn't changed my views and I sympathise entirely with people getting pissed off that people are driving to smaller, rural communities because they fancy a change of scenery.

Smaller, rural communities are resourced for their size and they don't need selfish idiots saying "but I'm allowed to go for a drive to exercise so will drive out to rural places, park up, and inevitably call in at the shop to buy the things I can't buy at home".

It’s not that they don’t want your custom, they don’t want you bringing in an infection that could kill their friends and family.

I understand that GreenTulips but I wonder how long after restrictions are lifted they still won't want our germs. I.e. we may be "allowed" to travel but not welcome. I don't want to go somewhere I'm not wanted, regardless if what the rules are at the time.

I also wonder at the sense of being quite so rude about people who you hope will be future customers. Even if you hold those views it may be best to keep them to yourself if you want people to return.

It’s not that they don’t want your custom, they don’t want you bringing in an infection that could kill their friends and family
If I wasn't on Mumsnet I'd have said this was obvious, but being on here at the moment can be like a window into selfishness and stupidity at times.

I can't imagine these places are going to be particularly cut up that a minority of people got so pissed off about not being welcomed for day trips during lockdown might decide to go somewhere else in future.

Yeah, I have been pretty disgusted by some of it - in Scotland seen the large ‘keep out’ signs in one column of the paper, with an equally large ‘we need support for our coastal villages ‘ pleas in the next.
I get it, we don’t need casual visitors endangering anyone’s health, but the vitriol is unpleasant.

I live in a popular holiday area and I’ve seen some completely vile posts about holiday makers from some locals.

But at the same time, I’ve seen hundreds of people replying to the posts defending holiday makers and calling out the shitty posters

We were described as a “hospital desert in a corona virus storm” at the beginning of this, it would be very easy to overwhelm our hospital

Many tourist spots are full of older people who have retired. These communities were pissed off at ignorant tourists coming to those areas and putting the vulnerable at risk.
My mother lives in one of these areas and there is 2 or 3 intensive care beds for the whole area.

It interesting to see how they will turn the tide on this. If the virus isn't going anywhere, and we have to learn to live with it, then what? Tourism completely crumbles?

Yes, Chisen, that's my concern. Not that I'm "pissed off" that they didn't welcome me during the restrictions as PP said, of course that is obvious but that there will be a big enough element that doesn't want us back until the virus is completely eliminated (which may be never), to make visiting an uncomfortable experience.

I think the tourism industry will very much notice that "a minority" don't return Lola, especially people like us who usually go all year round.

I live in a prime tourist location on the south coast, I doubt any of my community know what venom you are talking about. The restrictions in place are for every town, not just the nice ones, and those that live in tourist towns will want a holiday just as much as you when the time comes. We do leave the post code too you know....even going out inland to spend money in your town.

Threads like this I hope are a minority's view and made up of some strange perception rather than reality.

Do you actually know anyone being venomous towards you or is it social media shite?

Chisen? Chosen, sorry.

Well yes yukka, it's from the social media I follow for the area. The people who are usually falling over themselves to tell us how welcome we are. There's such a marked change I wonder if we will ever be welcome back.

I'm always amazed by the tourists that claim 'people need us and our money'.

Some do, some don't in a tourist area. If you are a resident who doesn't work in the tourist industry, presumably you don't want hordes of visitors. If you work as a nurse, say, it's just a damn nuisance to you to have crowds of tourists visiting. I live at the coast and find an influx of summer visitors of no benefit whatsoever and frequently they are a negative about the place. We have a very restricted infrastructure, shops, health care which is swamped in summer. The supposed money they bring to the area does not benefit me - or at least, not enough to particularly want the crowds. I much prefer my town in winter. People always claim they love to see us and our money and are often surprised to find that many locals actually don't.

The tourist hotspots need tourism. It’s a huge part of the local economy.

A few angry Facebook posts don’t speak for the entire area. I live in a popular tourist area myself, and we love having chats with the tourists on our dog walks etc. There is certainly no vitriol coming from the vast majority whom are sad to see their businesses ruined and beaches empty.

You can choose not to visit these places if you wish, but don’t let a few backwards people be that reason-most of us are a nice bunch!!

The thing is, it felt like reasonable requests weren’t being heeded.

There were plenty of visitors in Cornwall over the Mother’s Day weekend for instance when we all felt very uncomfortable being at work at a tourist hot spot.

But that wasn’t you, so why would you punish an area you claim to love because some of the residents are fearful and lashing out?

I doubt your the shops,cafes and pubs etc that you use would survive without the tourists. So yes you do benefit from people spending their money in your area.

I am embarrassed at some of the hostility shown and wouldn't blame holiday makers for not wanting to return. Although I know if holiday parks etc had remained open we would have been completely overwhelmed, our only major hospital is over 20 miles away and has to serve a very large area.

What has caused a lot of upset are those who deliberately ignored the advice not to travel to these areas at bank holidays, weekends etc. It was not just a few but many drove through the night, avoiding motorways a roads to get to their holiday homes caravans or travelling in their motor homes. It showed a lack of respect for the local population and indicated an arrogance and sense of entitlement. That had the effect of making people fearful and angry. The fear of the unknown and unpredictable made many very defensive of their own communities.

Yeah, I'm not sure you're helping there BlessYourCottonSocks I'm sure your neighbours who do rely on tourism will be thrilled. And frankly, if as is often the case, the only real industry in the area is tourism, the hospital staff are dependent on it too. If everyone had to move away to find work, they wouldn't need you either.

As a tourist I've always been very aware of supporting the local economy. I don't take food with me for example, perhaps I shouldn't bother.

Yes it's changed my view, some of the behaviour has been awful.

Most seaside towns make a huge percentage of their annual income during the summer months, they’d be completely suicidal not to welcome tourists back after lockdown.

I live in one of these places.

The vitriol has been disgusting. Serve them right if the visitors don’t come back. There are massive GO HOME and DO YOU WANT TO KILL US? and DYING FOR A HOLIDAY? etc signs.
Holiday homes have been vandalised and people who look touristy have been harassed and assaulted in the street.

I certainly wouldn’t come back if I was them!