Do locals actually want tourists at the moment?

[footprintsintheslow]

What's the general consensus about tourists staying in holiday destinations around the UK?

I'd love to go camping in North Wales, keep myself to myself and go to beaches.

Is it selfish to arrive there?

What would make it better if anything?

We are in Norfolk at the moment booked as a very last minute break. I was a little apprehensive about how busy it would be as we have been before but out of season. We have rented a house so we can keep ourselves to ourselves but honestly we could not feel more welcome. On the whole people are very respectful and mindful of the rules. In shops everyone is complying with wearing face masks and people are happy to queue for the small shops which are only allowing a few in at a time. We are walking the many beaches with our dog which are huge so plenty of room to distance from others. We’ve been fortunate that the weather is gorgeous so we’ve been eating outside or at the house. The change of scenery has done us the world of good and I do feel the locals could not have been more welcoming. It’s a beautiful part of the world and we are so pleased we made the late decision to come.

I work in a city and live near countryside. We can go on fairly nice country walks from our house but my DC are desperate to go to the beach. It's nearly a 2 hr trip each way for is to get to the beach so it's not an easy day trip. If we go away we will try to stay somewhere slightly inland and have a few day trips to the beach depending on how crowded it is.
Regarding people who dislike tourists who:
Park inconsiderately
Behave inconsiderately
Leave litter.
This is generally to do with people being selfish arses, they probably do it in their home towns too!

I live in a very touristy area and it is even more packed than usual

Can’t wait till they all leave in sept ! Sorry ! Just sooooo annoying.

@Emmie12345 Maybe you should move to a less touristy area and learn how to type “so” like an adult

If tourist areas are busier than usual isn't that because the locals haven't gone away

I also think a lot of the anti social behaviour that being blamed on tourists is from locals or localish people who would usually be elsewhere in their leisure time/who have more leisure time because of furlough. That was certainly the case on the very busy beaches here, at the end of June.

However, it's clear that these places don't want us back/never wanted us in the first place and my plan for the next couple of years at least is to explore some of our cities and the footpath network and the more remote areas of my own county.

We've been getting emails from cottage rental places for a couple of weeks now. So some people want us.

We're off to Wales as soon as the kids go back to school.

Thinking about a long weekend in Norfolk next weekend.

We'll steer clear of crowds and busy towns.

Cornish and not a prick...
Do you really think that everyone who finds tourists annoying should up sticks and leave?
So that a place become solely for tourists?
Not very sustainable.

@Thistly Well, funnily enough I didn’t actually say that so no - I don’t think that. Obviously 🙄. Because only an idiot would think that.

But I do think (and you can actually quote me on these actual words) that people need to be more tolerant of each other.

If you live in a city then you need to tolerate commuters.

If you live in a touristy area then you need to tolerate tourists.

And if you live in the sea - then you’ll need to tolerate fish.

ignorance isn’t sustainable either

Completely fed up with the amount of tourists here at the moment. We are in a touristy place but our economy doesn't rely on tourists and the businesses who do are often run by incomers who don't always make a positive contribution to the community. We don't want more people to buy up housing for second homes so it gets more difficult for young people to stay here. Tourist employment mainly offers low paid minimum wage seasonal jobs. We don't want to be treated like yokels in a theme park happy to serve.
I particularly object to pps on here who say locals don't own the countryside!!! Sorry but generally somebody local does own it!!! Farmers and landowners and people like that .....

Incomers buying up property (and/or having second homes) pushing up prices is not restricted to tourist areas. My son's are trying to buy in London and its so so hard because prices have been pushed up so high.

Cornish here too, it's not that I don't tolerate tourists, but alot of visitors seem to be of the mentality that the sun is out, relax, have a few drinks, bimble along narrow streets chatting and forget all awareness of social distancing.
I went to do the weekly food shop in town on Thursday and had to come home as it felt so unsafe with people bumping into me. I don't tolerate the lack of respect some people seem to have towards others.

A tourist drove passed me and said something indiscernible that involved the word "car" and "love". It's wasn't meant to be complimentary either. The issue is some tourists feel like they own the places they visit.

*past

I'm on the Isle of Wight, and have mixed feelings. On the one hand it is a little unnerving, getting busier, especially as being an Island we had been able to contain the initial spread quite well. But on the other, many people here would really struggle without tourism. It is lovely to see a little more life around, even if it is a little annoying that some beaches are getting very busy... but that just means that we tend to head for other spots.

We feel very lucky to live here, so it would be churlish to deny that to others... providing that they are sensible.

Obviously there are always a few locals on the various pages spouting off about 'getting rid of the tourists' and 'stop the ferries' but the ride is changing...to begin with those comments would have garnered a fair bit of support but now they tend to get more replies pointing out that unless the posters want to support the families of those effected if the island stops having visitors.

Its quite rural and touristy where I live.
An emergency ambulance was at a neighbours house recently (suspected Covid). Twice people knocked on their door and asked if it could be moved as they couldn't get through to the lake!!
I hope when I go to Wales in a few weeks I will be a better tourist than that.

@Serin wakes is absolutely packed right now!

We've decided to hold off on our plans to give the changes more time to settle in and gauge the effect.

In my hometown we are in further lockdown. We are relieved. It was actually bliss when the tourists weren’t here. Then they started swarming in and we’ve been locked in too scared to walk down our own streets since. People are still day tripping annoyingly and the pubs and restaurants are full of non locals. It’s feeling very claustrophobic.

I wouldnt go to any of the popular spots. Or anywhere in Cornwall. My nearest beaches are fine. Very beautiful and quite but not a hip area. Same in Weymouth last week. It looked like the town was clinging to existence. I cant see how it wont all be boarded up by 2021 which is such a shame as its beautiful there.

I must be going to all the wrong places at the wrong time of day as I haven't seen one heaving sandy beach this year.

Off to Kebt this weekend and I seriously doubt I will have any trouble fi doing a quite spot on a beach. It's not a trendy area and even Primark could survive due to level of poverty.

So plenty of pretty beaches where people do need tourism but look at the less obvious choices.

We went to a local swimming spot on Friday it was packed. Everywhere here is (south west). We had to go home in the end and I’m fretting now as felt was too close to randoms no social distancing.

Depends where the locals live. I think some busy tourist areas, London for example, are welcoming tourists, whether city breaks or passing through to get to and from the airports. Perhaps too welcoming? I've seen photos of popular beaches and they look no more crowded than photos of holidaymakers at airports. The difference is beaches are outdoors where the risk of spreading the virus is lower.

I wonder if anyone from seaside areas has gone on holiday? Abroad or within the UK.

@Boredbumhead

A tourist drove passed me and said something indiscernible that involved the word "car" and "love". It's wasn't meant to be complimentary either. The issue is some tourists feel like they own the places they visit.

Isn't the issue actually that some locals think they own the areas they live in.

They don't. They might own their home but that's it. Unless it's s private beach or road, they don't own it.

Tourists aren't visiting the locals. They're visiting the area.

We're off to visit the in laws in the highlands tomorrow. We haven't seen them since Hogmanay.
They live in a tiny village and we will absolutely make sure we social distance. The kids go back to school on the 12th, so this is the last chance before October.

We just went for a week and a half in North Devon and were made very welcome. But we were socially distancing everywhere, wearing masks when required, not going to crowded places. I think as long as you are careful which sounds like you are being it will be fine.

We live in the Highlands and think the issue is more the huge increase in tourists compared to previous years. We don't have the facilities for them all. The camping parks are all full so they are literally pitching up tents in random places. I saw a photo of people putting up tents at John o Groats behind recycling bins. Also campervans parking up in lay-bys and leaving all their rubbish. I've seen some awful photos!