Imagine our surprise
Posted on
January 25, 2016 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Referendum day, 18 September 2014:
Let’s hit the fast-forward button again.
“The number of tourist visits to Scotland from Britain has increased by 9%, a survey has suggested.
(Our emphasis.)
Who could ever have guessed, etc.
Goodness!
It’s almost as if they have been lying to the Scottish voters.
I wonder what No voters would think if they ever found out that they have been voting against their own country and their own people, and all because they, and folk like them, have been getting lied to for all these years?
I phoned Labour HQ to ascertain their view on this. It transpires that the increase is down to the same few dozen people returning multiple times.
Wherever you came from ,or however often you visited, you are welcome.
Looks like the indyref was good for tourism,maybe we should have them regularly.
Oh right like I phone up travel agents all the time saying I’m not going to …. Because of the “bad vibe”
Where do they find these people?!!
Patrick Roden – lied to NEVER – the oh, so honest unionists would never stoop to such despicable ‘FEAR’ stories, would they!!!! Just wonder how many NO’s now wish that they had voted ‘YES’.
Auld Rock
This will be fantastic material for indyref2.
I can see all the powerpoint presentations now in the public meetings highlighting the nonsense.
The anonymous travel agencies would not come from Baurheid by chance? The English people I meet seem happy to be here.
Meanwhile, I notice that visitors to Northern Ireland decrease rapidly during the Orange order festivities.
Something about the levels of drunken and violent behaviour towards visitors…
Funny how there are so many anonymous people informing the English media about anything bad in Scotland. They always find somebody don’t they. Otherwise they would have to make them up!
Oh, wait a minute…….
Yawn. It’s the Daily Tellalie.
I would think Independence would do wonders for the tourist industry – a revived and re-born nation – that is an easy sell for VisitScotland.
What a bonus for the economy of the country, alongside everything else we’ve got. And I hear the US is about to lift the ban on importing haggis?
Sheeeesh! Dippity Dug will be saying that she has increased APD
Tax and can now fund 1,000 extra travel agents across Scotland.
O/T A certain true blue tory travel agent who lost the “Heid” in the lead up to the referendum regularly gets great reports about employees loving the company.
A former employee advised that they need to fill in the survey forms with their Supervisor standing behind them.
I wonder what your long term prospects might be, or your chances of promotion, if you gave them a few home truths??
After all the venom that was spewed about Scots and Scotland at the time from the likes of the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail et al. I’m surprised anyone from down south came here at all.
IMO the English press did their utmost to incite racial hatred and tensions. They could have been honest and told their readers that it was Westminster we despised. That it was nothing to do with being anti English – they preferred instead to lie to their readers.
Dear oh dear!
All these nasty English, Welsh and Northern Irish people, whom we just don’t like at all, coming to receive our forced welcome and hospitality.
They probably told some of their friends to do it this year. What can we do to keep them out?
Thank goodness we’re not one of those unstable countries where tourists just don’t visit anymore because of political uncertainty.
You know; Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya etc.
It’s the Tellalie (like that Andrew-hope it catches on like BUM has) from September 2014! Oh dear!
Bob Mack at 10.35
To come and canvas for “Scottish” Labour, perhaps, as “Scottish” Labour has virtually no members left
No that wouldnt be the torygraph making stuff up again would it.
And why would they think we would behave like that could it be all the lies they have been told about us neo facsist nazi communists nationalists brainwashed robots.
Come to Scotland Englanders you might learn something about democracy and dont worry we dont hate you just your parliament and the crooks in it.
Oh no, not another media lie! It’s beginning to look like the norm.
It could have been just two tourists, say a couple, who spent an afternoon phoning round a couple of travel firms to announce they aren’t coming.
We all do this from time to time.
“Hello. Is that London? Well I’m not visiting this year because I don’t like your Mayoral bun fight.”
I expect that they will all stop coming to Scotland if APT is abolished, as it will be too cheap.
It must be staff from GCHQ coming to observe with their binoculars that have bumped the figures up. 🙂
Noel chidwick at 1103am,
I totally agree. The restoration of Scottish independence, and an end to London rule, would be a HUGE tourism asset to Scotland. As you say, it would be an easy ‘sell’ for visit Scotland. Just think of all those Scots abroad, who would suddenly feel even more proud of their country, and want to visit, to join in with the independence day party (and what a party that would be!).
As regards the article above, yet again, it just shows how much the Scots were lied to yet again by the English owned and run ‘media’ during the referendum. Scots don’t hate the English, they just hate the cloying, cringing, pathetic so-called ‘journalists’ who write offensive, racist, utter p*sh about Scotland almost every day of the week.
Thanks for this Stu,
Particularly noxious section of so called “Project Fear”, Conservative Party press and their spinoffs, is (their) attempt to stir-up SCT/ENG divisiveness that simply is not present to any great extent.
Live in tourist area of Scotland.
Can confirm that tourist visitor numbers from ENG were healthy throughout 2014 and 2015.
When smears are on the go is great to stick to the facts which disprove them. 😀
Saw and advert on some Englsh TV channel or other last month were a young coulple are visiting a house.
House speaks and tells female that its within the circaledge of XYZ school and that 80% of the area read the Telegraph
Unable to fathom what the advert was for, but such is the bubble that exists around SE Britain that the folk running the advert would be oblivious to he fact that whatever the product was, trying that form of recommendation would be likely to have the opposite effect with most people – even in England
@Donald Anderson @ 12.15.
My thoughts exactly 🙂
To my recall Barhead travel were the only business to nail their colours to the mast quite so obviously.
It must be fantastic to have such a deep understanding of the tourism industry.
I hope their caramel wavers jam in their arses.
This is hilarious. I wonder how many people phoned up random travel agents to announce their decision. Maybe they decided to visit Somalia instead.
Maybe it’s just the phrasing but ‘the number of tourist visits to Scotland from Britain’?
This appears to be another one of those right win press
stories to stir up ill-feeling between the people of Scotland and England.
This would then allow the unionist parties here in Scotland to continue to portray the SNP as being anti- English and the as a result has stirred up anti-Scottish feeling in England
I bet it was barrhead travel
Slightly o/t , a question what is the point of us sending our MPs to Westminster ? , exactly what progress has been made in obtaining this as close to federisilm that was promised , it seems to me that the Labour Party managed to disguise this little charade very successfully during the years they had the majority of MPs in Scotland in that we don’t matter they don’t care so what’s the point .
Some time in 2014 I was working in a hotel reception in Edinburgh, received a random email headed “Despicable” and was a rant by this man claiming he his holiday up to Scotland because of “anti-English sentiment” and that sort of rubbish. Needless to say the guy didn’t even have a hotel room booked with us and I found out from friends working in other hotels that he was just trolling lots of hotels with the same email.
It is not exactly news that everything coming from the Naesayers in the run up to was lies!
However, I do think it is critically important that those lies are highlighted as often as possible. Short sharp articles like this are critical. They “tourists will stay away”, the reality, tourist numbers increase.
It’s a theme which could be repeated a hundred times. Project Fear gave us a big box of ammo!
A good chunk of No voters are till-death-BritNats. Another 20-30% perhaps, believed some of the lies some of the time. Those lies, when believed, gave comfort to them as they made the ‘safe’ decision to vote No.
it was almost all lies! The more of those lies which are dispelled, the more NO voters see reality!
Hmmmm so why are hotels reporting a bad year with rooms down by 5.6 % .I’m a duty manager in a hotel we had a slow season and a bad Xmas period .I would not trust any figures appart from insider ones and I had a look at our figures compared to other years and it was a bad year allround .our employers have implemented a no hire policy until the summer and workers hours are being cut. Just saying folks
Are the BBC coming to terms with Scottish independence? “the number of tourist visits to Scotland from Britain has increased”
We had an American friend asking if it was safe to come to Scotland, what with all the terrorism in Europe. I joked with her not to worry as long as you don’t come during an orange March. “Wow! I didn’t know you grew oranges in Scotland.” I coulda kissed her 🙂
They should all take the opportunity to visit Scotland while we still use the £!! When we have our own currency they might not get such a good exchange rate!!!
@Robert Graham,
I cannot speak for others Robert,but what the presence of the 56 has done,has dismantled any pretence that the Westminster establishment holds Scotland and her people in any regard.
They got away with it before. Now we have taken an interest in politics,we can see for ourselves that other parties were disguising that contempt from their London superiors.
It is an awakening,but one that was required. It is also a beginning if you like. A realisation that we can trust only ourselves to create a society of which we can be proud. If I like many others did not know before,then I know now,having watched our representatives and our people constantly belittled in Westminster .
Even my daughter who had no interest at all in politics thinks what is happening is shameful,and for the first time is going to vote SNP in the May elections.
I suppose that is something positive for me at least.
Absolutely everything we’ve experienced in the struggle to regain full democracy was tossed at Scotland prior to 1707 – exactly the same arguments: we’d all be treated as foreigners, England would stop trade, England would block relations with European countries, English ships would blockade imports, we would be open to attack from all sides of our country.
It’s a carbon copy rerun.
It’s adventure tourism!
‘Keep your windows closed at all times. Please do not feed the Sweaties.’
Don’t know about anyone else, but every time I see a car with a ‘ENG’ bumper sticker I clamber onto the bonnet and rip the wipers off.
Well well, who would have guessed that the Telegraph would print made up nonsense!
Haha, nothing, even vile natz, nor worse, midges can keep visitors away from this beautiful country.
It’s also why we must protect and cherish every corner, as best we can.
“Don’t know about anyone else, but every time I see a car with a ‘ENG’ bumper sticker I clamber onto the bonnet and rip the wipers off.”
That would make you a moron then.
@Robert Graham
They have to be there. To call out the hypocrisy – Angus Robertson’s question on Yemen bombing last week made the English main titles.
To build networks, to exploit divisions – like Fox hunting.
There will be some really clever politics behind the scenes with gov’t officials, other politicians, perhaps with Plaid, Greens.
There is no question in my mind they are working hard, and having to work very hard at home. My MP looks exhausted 🙁
Just imagine what Salmond is up to 🙂
Test…
Perhaps, if he wasn’t joking.
@Ian Brotherhood
Naw! you don’t really… 🙂
My cousin in Sheffield who was all for “I agree with what Nick said’ has now changed his tune…He wishes us Scots all the good luck and he means it!
@Bob Mack
I agree with what you said.
And here we are, with Cameron on the verge of taking England out of the EU, and that resulting in effectively taking England out of the UK! Talk about comes around, goes around.
Just think, if folks in the north of England want to pop over to Europe for a wee trip, it will be easier to head north!
A good appraisal of Cameron’s probable tactics (I don’t know if it’s already been highlighted)
http://www.businessforscotland.co.uk/will-camerons-eu-gamble-end-the-uk/
It seems like only yesterday that they were lining up to tell us how much they loved us and pleading with us not to leave.
O/T
There are still cretins on The Scotsman comments under the crazy illusion that Rev Stu would waste his time arguing with them under a nom de p – one is even suggesting that Stu is a Tory.
@Grous Beater 12:02pm
And wee threats for the peasants and bribery for the upper crust. Why change a winning formula it’s worked ok for 309 years.
I said Corbynite was Kraptonite a few months ago and supergirl isn’t helping in North Britain either.
https://archive.is/3Omfq
I can’t believe that the Telegraph would get this wrong – they always check their sources, don’t they? I think they could have been correct in predicting fewer English visitors, and the BBC could be right in reporting more British visitors. It’s all down to the Welsh and Northern Irish.
I visited Edinburgh in February, and there were thousands of Welsh people wandering about. If it’s like that every week, it would explain the discrepancy. I knew they were Welsh because they all had red and white scarves, and were wearing daffodils.
You gotta laugh. Tourists coming to Scotland from Britain. It makes you wonder why we are now apparently not part of this all ‘one nation’ Britain. Maybe the bbc expect the Lapetus ocean to open up again so that we really are seperated, physically.
Or maybe they think that some potential tourists won’t be able to find us on the map. I was once in the Phillipines, on my way back from Australia, and the people there hardly even knew where the UK was and had never heard of Scotland. In my arrogance, I thought everyone knew where the yookay was.
rBriatin is a new one, The British Geological society, have maps where Scotland is considered to be, ‘North UKok’. Scotland just does not exist as a country, with a border, even though it is the most interesting place on the planet geologically.
Another Project Fear lie bites the dust. Inward investment in 2014 and 2015 was also gloriously impervious to the referendum debate despite the lies of Osborne and Darling.
Do we have enough of these before and after scenarios to turn them into a book yet? Crowdfunder anyone?
Sorry o/t,
Congrats to you Stu.
Just on Radio shortbread Johnie Beattie show tackling Kevin Hague on a new feature looking at facts that Political parties use in the media.
You managed to undermine the use of OBR figures by the media and flummox Kevverage so much that all he could do was agree with your premise that Niclola and SNP were consistent with figures from around the industry.
Looking forward to them investigating some of the facts that SLab use over the Airport tax for one!
Keep going Stu, you are getting under their skin on a daily basis!
@Johnny says: 25 January, 2016 at 11:32 am:
“Maybe it’s just the phrasing but ‘the number of tourist visits to Scotland from Britain’?”
Perhaps the increase in British tourist Numbers is from the non-UK Bailiwick of Jersey, Non-UK Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Non-UK Of Republic of Ireland with the remainder of the percentage increase accounted for by Jeremey Corbyn, and his security and other travelling staff.
According to Ms Dugdale Jeremey has committed to making regular visits to prove to Scottish voters he cares about them.
Oh! Wait! Are they perhaps including as visitors the SNP MPs regularly travelling home at weekends.
O/T fiscal framework committee session, watch here
https://www.facebook.com/ScottishAffairsCommittee/posts/926004537484864
Rev, you will be getting charged with manslaughter for that radio programme. The Union financial “expert” oor Kevin, dismantled live on air.
Way to go Rev.
Are there no laws prohibiting enticement of hatred, or do Scots not constitute a people?
The Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Sorry, I forgot I’m a racist, apparently.
Rev Stu,
Please, please, please, can you put up a link to the John Beattie Radio show in full for us.
I normally do not listen to BBC Scotland but I will make this an exception.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Waiting expectantly…
Fundamentalist toryboy wishful thinking, with usual UKOK bullshit. It’s a red/blue toryboy world and its our great tragedy. They don’t just wish to pull down their Scotland region, they’ve been at it for decades and decades. And just enough proud Scot buts don’t seem to care.
Typically brilliant research by Beeb..cannae even get your name right!
Its only because they all had to come up here to vote – figures will be down again next year.
Wulls – I wrote to Barrhead travel regarding their stance on Scottish independence. I was assured by the lady who responded that the anti-independence view was a personal view stated by a non-executive director and that the company held no view! If anyone can tell me different……..?
Tangential to the article, I expected the official figures to be up on last year, but it’s the performance of Edinburgh and Glasgow that has got the figures up.
The trick is to get the tourists out of the towns, and all over the rest of Scotland, staying at least overnight, but the weather doesn’t help, it deterred outdoor activities and camping. Ironically cheap fuel didn’t help either as what a lot of people did was get in the car, drive around Scotland, and back to their overnight accomodation.
The story you won’t get from visitscotland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_scotland_fm
there ya go hoss
apologies to others for putting up a link to the bbc
Rev says
If you missed that John Beattie Show segment with me and a dog food salesman, rewind this to about -1h 10m:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_scotland_fm
I’m with Hoss,Rev.
Please, please can you put up the excerpt 🙂
It is typical of Wings commenters that there has been an immediate string of humorous comments on the Rev Stu’s current revelations.
This humour stands in stark relief to the normal Bitter Together hate and loathing in response to any form political news item involving Scotland or the SNP.
Perhaps our reaction is the type of reaction that If ye dinna laugh ye maun greet type of thing.
Must be all the punters they bussed up to hand out leaflets last May. They now know it’s pointless so expect a drop in visitors in next year’s figures.
My childrens partners – all English.
My grandsons – all born in England.
One of my best mates – English (Cockney).
Many of my fellow Wingers – English or have English connections.
Many of my relatives – born in England.
Spent a very large part of my childhood in England.
Need i go on?
Yeah, i feckin hate the English? (sarcasm btw).
What a bunch of retarded inbreds!
No, not the English, the Unionist sh!t stirrers.
(I draw the line at insulting true journalists and their trade).
OH, and btw, my West Ham supporting English son-in-law is getting me my 25mm “VOTE SNP” badge – the dirty b@ss@!
🙂
Ireland has the Blarney Stone; we have britnat liars.
Anyone know who I contact to let them know I won’t be going to rUK this year due to not wanting to go there.
That’ll learn them!
I’ve certainly noticed a distinct increase of UK / Scotland separation by the meedja since just before Christmas.
Looks like they’re finally realising that we’re not better together and they’re slowly drip feeding the masses.
Almannysbunnet – I love the innocence of your friends reply about growing oranges in Scotland and it reminded me of when I brough my Brummy wife to Scotland for the first time. On the first weekend we went to the pub in Dalgety Bay to watch Scotland play Belgium, I think it was. As the game progressed a youngster in a Hearts top started to shout “get that Tim off” in reference to Paul Lambert who was not playing too well. After this had happened a few times my wife said “why is he calling him Tim when his name is Paul?” We now often laught about it. I’d still she, and your friend in the States, was still innocent regards all this rubbish! Come Independence, and less of this British guff, we should be able to improve the situation to a peaceful, non-sectarian, non-imperialist, sensible wee orange growing country instead of having a fading but persistent orange tinge!
All these people coming to Scotland.
Is it time for a great big, feck-off fence along the border?!
The John Beattie programme will be available at some point here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vkn0l
Ian Brotherhood was talking about adventure tourism, keeping your (vehicle) windows closed, a bit like being in Blair Drommond Safari park.
Hence the obvious joke about climbing on cars and pulling wipers off like a monkey.
Sorry, that was for Almanny
I wonder if someone ‘actually’ phoned a travel agent that they had booked a holiday through and said what was alluded to above, would they not be told that, as there were no official warnings issued by the Home Office about the dangers of visiting Scotland , there will be zero chance of a return of your money on cancellation?
Still makes me angry. Shower of toxic utter Bastards.
Nana et al – I’m not having any luck rewinding to -1.10 mins on that link to the Rev’s interview – it only rewinds to @ -22mins then goes to live with some wummin wittering on about gyms.
Hopefully Stuey will post the relevant section soon.
Rev, you did a sterling job on JB today , despite him getting your name wrong at first & keverage sniggering and trying hard to interrupt your flow.
OT , I also had the misfortune to hear CK wi an “e” where they were discussing the Beeb fee being free to over 75s. Yet again a caller showed up how little research they do. Caller told BBC that the over 75s had to apply to be excerpt from paying the BEEB Tax. The BEEB faffed about and took ages to verify the situation.
So in summary the Beeb run a program on their own income stream and they did not know how it worked!
As we often say here “ya coodna mak it up”
I’d score you 8/10 today but 10/10 for Getting Wings newbies to log in long term.
Hopefully you will be asked back, well done.
“He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.” – Thomas Jefferson
Surely, when the object of telling a lie is to mislead, it is important that you aren’t caught out. If the target realises they have been lied to, they therefore know they were misled. Once the devious manipulation has been uncovered, then perpetrator should never be trusted again on any matter,
As Jefferson correctly points out, lying becomes habitual.
Those supporting the Union have reached the stage where lying is routine. Those who recognise this, trust nothing they say any longer. That includes utterances which might actually be true!
A major tool in winning IndyRef2 is to make more people aware of the sheer scale of the deceit.
Yes, make a positive case. Avoid negativity. However also call out the deceivers.
Aghhh, Drummond even
The Torygraph screams:
“English tourists cancel trips to Scotland because of ill-feeling”
Are you sure it’s not down to getting a pure rid neck, man?
The Unionist intelligentsia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3QHF97NCw
Hi folks,
apologies if anyone else has alreday posted the relevant link (no time to check at the moment) but ITV have published in full the Labour Party report on the GE defeat which was leaked to them.
It makes for very interesting reading, particularly the Scottish sections (they did think to treat Scotland as a separate case).
I can’t use the archive web page at work, the direct link is:
http://www.itv.com/news/2016-01-25/revealed-secret-labour-report-calls-on-party-to-atone-for-its-past/
Cheers – Chris
Just listened to Stu on the wireless talking about oil prices.
What puzzles me is this ~£7bn ‘black hole’ in Scotland’s budget.
When does this apply?
It can’t be right now because the Scottish economy and tax regime is internal with the UK’s.
It wouldn’t be after Indy because we wouldn’t be paying so much in debt repayments nor defence. Those two alone remove half of the ‘black hole’.
Tjenny
Just google BBC John Beattie show. You will get today’s programme. Listen from the start.
“it was a bad year allround”
Wild stab in the dark, but perhaps because it was freezing cold and pissing with rain every day from May to August?
Nevertheless, the stats are still the stats.
Rev’s put JB interview up on next thread…
JB had better watch his back lest he suffers the same fate as Izzy Fraser and be disapppeared.
Fireproofjim – thanks but I see Stuey’s now posted it. 🙂
Well done Rev! How did you continue with what sounded like either Muttley or Hissing Sid in the background sniggering like a schoolboy…take your pick they both fit that pompous buffoon.
“How did you continue with what sounded like either Muttley or Hissing Sid in the background sniggering like a schoolboy”
Because I have absolutely no respect for him on any level, so it doesn’t bother me what he says or does.
Robert Louis says:
25 January, 2016 at 11:18 am
Noel chidwick at 1103am,
I totally agree. The restoration of Scottish independence, and an end to London rule, would be a HUGE tourism asset to Scotland. As you say, it would be an easy ‘sell’ for visit Scotland. Just think of all those Scots abroad, who would suddenly feel even more proud of their country, and want to visit, to join in with the independence day party (and what a party that would be!).
——-
Yes, independence would be massive for tourism.
It beats me why the SNP didn’t estimate a figure for far higher ongoing growth rates possible from our higher global profile.
2014 was a record year for tourism, even before the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games, and the fact that the referendum put Scotland in the news internationally must surely have had something to do with that.
I reckon there would be a huge amount of goodwill towards Scotland which would reflect in tourism and business.
Let’s be honest here team, how many Referendum votes in Scotland would the Torygraph influence? 2? 3? Do I hear 4? Sold to the Ex-PM & Ex-Chancellor for 4 Votes …
You can almost imagine the entire BBC Radio Shortbread team frantically wanking each other off in gleeful excitement as soon as the price of oil fell below $50 per barrel.
Yet, they stubbornly refuse to recognise the massive economic benefit to every consumer of energy: homeowners, tenants, landlords, distributors, hauliers, moving companies, manufacturers, traders, farmers, fishermen, foresters, resellers etc.
Every single one of them will have extra money now, that they did not forecast even six months ago. That money will be used to save for a rainy day, pay down debts, invest in capital projects, invest in financial instruments, hire staff, pay bonuses, make improvements in their businesses, grow revenues & so on.
Who are these people that might benefit? Only the vast majority of us who live & work in Scotland of course yet whose only experience of oil exploration might have been looking for petrol station near Portree that was open on a Sunday.
The Treasury meanwhile, will enjoy an increase in tax receipts from rising incomes, capital expenses & from increases in general economic activity.
But BBC Radio Shortbread is having none of that. In their blinkered, BritNat worldview, this oil price collapse is a disaster & evidence enough that Scotland must remain shackled to a generous population all the way from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Truro.
Some English visitors wouldn’t be missed, Ffoulkes & Darling for example!
Was driving to my daughters and caught the programme – most excellent Rev!
Who was the sniggering person in the background , this Kevin person ? Is he an expert in rudeness – for that’s how he came across?
I would normally google for the info but in his particular case I cannot be arsed.
…but the puppet masters don’t care that they have been “found out”now. It worked and kept the vote below 50 percent.
All of these propaganda tactics combined under the project fear banner.
It is another reason for going early on another referendum (less than 5 years) because the negative scare stories only works when it has shock/fear value. We have citizens now who know just how false it all was.
Here is an even bigger shocker
I travel regularly to England visiting friends and NOT once have I felt threatened because of my Scottish accent when in the pub by myself waiting for them to turn up, if anything, strangers will approach me and say that they are genuinely gutted that Scotland voted NO and they are stumped as to why 55% of NO voters wanted to remain chained to Westminster rule.
This sounds like a win/win,
We get rid of the stingy moaning English tourists and get the nice free spending ones instead.
OOps wrong thread…..sorry I am old and stupid
“Travel firms north of the border say holiday-makers have contacted them saying they don’t want to go to Scotland whatever the result of the vote”
Were these travel firms ever named? Or was it simply a single travel firm whose name is taken from the village, now town, south of Glasgow, which was the source of the story/propaganda? (You know, the one who’s boss was dead keen on the prospect of independence – not!).
So… the first report in The Telegraph states that the English have cancelled trips to Scotland.
The second says British tourists numbers in Scotland have shot up.
Technically, as Britain is Scotland, England and Wales – and discounting ‘stay-cations’ by Scots, as the BBC report states ‘to Scotland from Britain’ [I had no idea that Scotland had geographically moved!] – both reports could be true if Scotland has suddenly been over-run by the Welsh.
I can only imagine that they are planning their own indyref, too.
Bruce @ 11:56
I work in tourism too. My experience is very different. Incredibly positive. I’m not going to name my company or exact business, suffice to say we get tourists visiting Edinburgh & Glasgow (and, for a Scottish company, from London & Dublin too) to all parts of these islands.
My company is growing significantly year on year. Obviously part of this is the level of service we offer, but it would count for very little if the tourists weren’t coming. People flock here because they’ve heard how amazing it is. The natural landscapes can match anywhere, the history is incredible, TV/film stuff like Outlander, Highlander, Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code or yes, even Braveheart draw them in. Whisky, food (especially the seafood round the islands), hairy coo’s and believe it or not even blimmin sheep are enjoyed by many (stop sniggering at the back). St Andrews, Skye, Loch Ness (most popular day trip in the world would you believe?), Speyside, castles, palaces, roman walls, battlefields, murdurs, massacres, mountains, Salmon, whales, dolphins and even a couple of giant pandas.
Obvious nationalities like American, Canadian, Chinese, Australian and Indian predominate. In the last month I’ve dealt with people from Saudi, Myanmar and Mexico. In the past even Paraguayans, Kuwaitis and Bahrainis. I really could go on, not uncommon are Russia, Norway, Brazil, NZ, Malaysia, HK, Singapore, even the odd one or two from these shores.
What annoys me, because its not true, is when we belittle our weather. Its not actually that bad and can be spectacular. Its problem is its unreliability if you want hot and sunny. Somewhere like Glencoe can be as spectacular on a grey misty day, or snow covered day as any clear sunny day!!!
Here is a selection of quotes from our latest newsletter;
“Despite the rain, we have had a good December, sales for tours and our café are all up on last year.”
“Glasgow’s sales have increased which is a positive sign.”
“London and Edinburgh’s loadings and sales were also up on last year.”
“Edinburgh Tattoo packages as always are flying off the shelves.”
“The Café has been very busy indeed and our takings over the month of December were phenomenal.”
“It’s been another busy year for everyone.”
“There have been a lot of comments about the weather but in most cases customers seem quite accepting of the risk they take travelling in winter.”
“Overall our feedback results were slightly up in almost every area, with an average satisfaction score across all aspects of the tours of 91.5%.”
We’ve been doing this right through the recession, Swinney drops in for photo ops as often as he can, oh aye and we’re always looking to take on keen able staff to show off all the above. From where I’m standing, the demand and interest are there and we’ve got one heck of a product.
I think my last 4 hols have been to Portree, Morar, Killin and Rowardennan (hot tub in the snow). Last overnighter was to Grantown-on-Spey last Nov.
We are truly spoiled.
I am proud that the BBC doesn’t consider Scots to be ‘British’.
But Robert Peffers will have a fit about being excluded from being called ‘British’.
Rock do you actually bother yourself to read or are you determined to live up to every stereotype that the ruling classes have dressed you in?
What absolute and utter tosh. This is pure and simple hate mongering from malevolent unionist trouble makers.
Funnily enough there was a report on the STV Player news site yesterday that visitor numbers to Scotland last year were record breaking. Excellent news!
So I commented that ‘the Scottish Independence Referendum has been good for the country =)’ …
And now the article has disappeared. They’re not very keen on good news.
Ghillie
I wrote to STV about Outlander and was told they had no plans to broadcast it, I asked then if they were commissioning any historical Scottish drama, I am still waiting, Forget the BBC, the pig fucker as spiked their guns.
Don’t trust unionist Broadcasters, and unfortunately that means all of them, Ireland has a great new series called “Rebellion”, the USA have the fantastic “Turn”, we get a propaganda department to tell us how lucky we are to be under Westminster’s control.
Makes you realize if they have to spend all that time and money and we still want out of the buggerd union, how week is their case.
Has anyone ask for an answer to this REALLY TRUTHFUL STORYBFROM BBC!
Two liars with differing stories.
Another pack of lies quashed.Why oh why does the English press insist in printing this garbage.The tourists are very welcome to Scotland to enjoy its beautiful scenery.