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‘Utterly deplorable’: Holidaymakers and customers condemned for abuse of Covid rules and hospitality staff

21 Jul 2021 3 minute read
Image by Roman Grac from Pixabay

Leaders of the tourism and retails sectors in the north of Wales have condemned the behaviour of holidaymakers for shunning Welsh Covid measures and abusing workers.

Tourists are flocking to Wales this summer due to Covid restriction on international travel with a recent survey from the RAC survey suggesting 11% of holidaymakers in the UK will be heading to Wales for a summer break.   

England lifted most restrictions on Monday. But masks and social distancing will remain in Wales until at least the 7th of August, which meant that some attractions had limited capacity.

Sara Jones, from the Welsh Retail Consortium, urged customers to be considerate in their dealings with shop staff and abide by store guidance.

“Regrettably, our research finds increasing levels of verbal and physical abuse directed towards retail staff, often triggered by shop-workers delivering what the state increasingly asks of them in terms of new rules and regulations,” she said. “This abuse is utterly deplorable.”

Dave Chapman, from UKHospitality Cymru, said members were witnessing “a disturbing rise in disrespectful behaviour towards their staff”.

He told the Daily Post: “Our front-facing staff are trying to adhere to Welsh Government law in a climate where there may be cross-border confusion about status and implementation, and they do not deserve such inconsiderate and unpleasant experiences in their job of work.

“We have many family businesses, community business and a lot of jobs staffed by our sons and daughters in the communities of Wales, and I would appeal for more tolerance and consideration for people just trying to help everyone have a good time in difficult circumstances.”

‘Unpleasant’

At the weekend, shoppers in Deeside and Pwllheli complained about large numbers of people not wearing masks in supermarkets and one Twitter user contacted Asda’s customer service department to say staff were concerned about “the influx of people” without masks.

On Monday the manager of Llandudno Pier posted a message to remind customers that restriction including wearing face mask and social distancing were still required in Wales despite all measures being scrapped in England and reported some tourists had been screaming and shouting at staff.

“It has saddened and shocked me the way my Team have been treated by some of our customers this weekend,” he said.

“One ‘so-called lady’ screamed today ‘you should hire more Staff’. Unfortunately, we are unable to hire more Staff, as no one wants to work in our industry anymore…

“Word of advice! Don’t “scream and shout” at my team… ask for the Manager! I will be happy to discuss things with you … and you won’t ‘intimidate’ me, trust me…”

Four local authorities on both sides of the Welsh-English border, Chester, Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire councils also released a joint statement yesterday calling on people to respect the fact that Covid-19 restrictions are different in Wales and called on visitors to Wales to respect staff working in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industries.

 


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

A toxic cocktail of Brexit resentment and Boris entitlement with a dash of English exceptionalism and a sprinkling of post-colonialism…And pure bad manners!

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

I tried telling my better half that there are good people in all nations… Then I went to Tesco… good Lord the Sais don’t help themselves do they?

George
George
2 years ago
Reply to  Quornby

We have to remember that there are good and bad in all nations even when it’s hard. None of my English friends would become abusive whether they knew about the difference in laws or not.

Charles L. Gallagher
Charles L. Gallagher
2 years ago
Reply to  Quornby

Sais’, who are they please?????

Bruce
Bruce
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

We shouldn’t be surprised, just think about the way they behave in a ‘normal’ year in places like Ibiza or at an international football match. They can’t even behave in their own country (think of the Euros final) so we shouldn’t be surprised. Perhaps we’ll just have to do what the Spanish have to put up with every year – hold our noses and take the money.

Chris
Chris
2 years ago

I could never work in retail or hospitality. People can be foul

Johnny Gamble
Johnny Gamble
2 years ago

Looks like we are attracting the wrong sort of tourists to Cymru

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago
Reply to  Johnny Gamble

They came from Europe mostly, boy do I miss them…

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

We met a German couple a few years ago while staying in a YHA near ‘Fishguard’, right on the edge of the cliffs…anyway, this was their 9th trip to Wales but they had never been to England!

Last edited 2 years ago by Mab Meirion
William Glyn THOMAS
William Glyn THOMAS
2 years ago

What do you expect? These are the Brexiteers who put two fingers up to the EU yet expect a welcome when they take their holidays in the sun quaffing litres of ale and piles of Chips and fish. They have no respect for anyone else’s rules but their own. They scorn anyone who prefers to speak their own language. They are Lager louts, no doubt you will have seen them at the airport drinking beer at 0400 hrs. They are the reason that I have never taken a package holiday. I couldn’t bear the thought of being herded with them.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

I know what you mean I flew to Malta for a break during the Gulf War, on that plane out of Manchester, two things set me apart. I was not wearing a ‘Shell Suit’ nor was I knocking back the booze. Never bothered since…as for Malta I loved it!

Bob
Bob
2 years ago

I suspect some come from Wales, plenty of issues in SW Wales caused by “Welsh” tourists.

Chris
Chris
2 years ago

Nowhere in the article does it say where any of these abusive tourists come from, but let’s all assume that it’s our hated colonial oppressors, the English! Argh, we hate them so much! We’re definitely not narrow-minded xenophobes with inferiority complexes, oh no!

John
John
2 years ago
Reply to  Chris

I live in the middle of llandudno.. Im seeing and hearing these people it mentions every day. Thay are Souse and Mancs, with a few brummies and cockneys thrown in. Instantly recognisable. I sometimes film them at it for when they make a documentary about it

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
2 years ago
Reply to  Chris

I’ve noticed that BritNats have taken to using the word “xenophobic” a lot recently to explain away any grievance emanating from Wales.

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