"Edinburgh is ‘among worst’ for visitor experience"

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"Edinburgh is ‘among worst’ for visitor experience"

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Started 13 years ago by chdot
Latest reply from Morningsider

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chdot
Admin

"
THE visitor experience in the historic heart of Edinburgh is “among the worst in Europe”, according to the departing head of the city’s world heritage site watchdog.

Charles McKean, a leading historian, academic and author, believes the Scottish capital is being let down by a lack of historical interpretation, the level of roadworks on major thoroughfares, a failure to clear up rubbish at peak times and unwelcoming closes.
"

http://www.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh_is_among_worst_for_visitor_experience_1_2113631

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

It's a living city, it's not (yet) Disneyland. Thank goodness.

Posted 13 years ago #
Nelly
Member

Crowriver - agreed, and he would do well to consider that issues similar to these are hardly unique to Edinburgh, but hey its a soundbite.

Tourism is always a double edged sword (I have seen prague pre and post mass tourism - he should go there for a wee eye opener) for residents of any city.

Plus he makes odd points - citing Lyon and Vienna as comparable to Edinburgh - in what way ? - not population/scale - they are at least twice as big.

Comparable sized UK cities/areas I have visited - Sheffield / Leicester / Coventry / Hull / Nottingham / Portsmouth - Would I swap Edinburgh (even with all our actual and perceived issues)for these? (apologies to any here hailing from these) - but no chance.

Posted 13 years ago #
PS
Member

"Unwelcoming closes"? Part of Edinburgh's dark charm, I'd say. What use would a "welcoming close" be?

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

I thought that too PS. definately part of their character. And I don't know what "historical interpretation" means exactly but reading the article it seems to mean ugly plastic boards over everything with explanations in several different languages of what everything is.

Otherwise I would say he is right. Don't forget he is talking about the centre only. The Royal Mile is filthy, stuffed with annoying tat shops blasting piped music into the street and the pavements are extremely narrow. Princes Street is just horrible, especially at the moment. Full of empty shop fronts and mobile phone shops. And can anyone claim that the roadworks are at an acceptable level? I haven't visited every city in Europe but the only place dirtier and more unwelcoming that I have visited is London.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

More culture/tourism.

"Edinburgh’s New Town to celebrate literary history"

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/historic-sites/edinburgh_s_new_town_to_celebrate_literary_history_1_2115186

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

Just got an email through about a 3 day community led "spring clean" in the Royal Mile. Nice that people are taking action but it does say it all really!

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

I walked from George st to St Giles on Sunday night at dusk. Went via the grass market and up Victoria st past my favourite pub the bow bar. My fellow flanneur remarked what a truly remarkable city Edinburgh is (architect from outside Nottingham ). He had been thrilled by sitting at the front of the bus on the top deck and me pointing out that Stephen hendry's house was up for sale.

Sometimes we take for granted what is on our doorstep. Am I right that none of us have left Edinburgh as our main place of residence in over two years.

The roadworks are bad. Rubbish can accumulate. However, if you don't mind hills Edinburgh must be one of the best cities for promenading in. That world heritage guy is a real whinger

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
Martin Hannan: It’s true, we are Europe’s worst
"
http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/opinion/martin_hannan_it_s_true_we_are_europe_s_worst_1_2115666

Posted 13 years ago #
Nelly
Member

Bandwagon. Jumped on.

Paris Visite 'joined up' transport pass / magical touristic experience?

Au Contraire, one of my fave cities, been lots - but they treat tourists with monumental disdain.

Approx 20 euros for all zones daily, but of course it doesnt include the train from CDG (which of course if you fly with a cheaper airline means you need to get a Bus to the Train station anyway)which is another 10 Euros each way.

Of course if you fly into Orly, its a whole different pass system - dont even go there.

What they dont tell you in any Paris tourist info is its entirely cheaper to get the train from the airport, and simply buy a carnet of Metro tickets from a booth.

As has been said - by me and others - Edinburgh is not perfect (by a long stretch) but local journalists appear to be turning the once decent Evening News and Scotsman into the Northern Daily Mail.

I just spent a lovely afternoon out with my wife, valentines lunch / Space photos thingy at St Andrews Square.

Lets focus on the positives - we know what the negatives are already.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Lets focus on the positives - we know what the negatives are already."

I think 'we' generally do - edged with exasperation!

Saw this this afternoon from an interview with Edinburgh architect Malcolm Fraser (from 7 years ago).

What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the city today?

We have to understand the economic value of Edinburgh is
completely bound up with the value of what we already
have. That means we need to keep and repair and work well
with our old buildings and we need to ensure that new
buildings are as good as the existing ones. They need the
same enduring qualities so we will value them in the future,
they will make us happier and more effective, enhance our
cultural life, and add to the gaiety of the city in general.

How do we compare, in contemporary architectural terms, with the rest of Europe?

Our innate conservatism has served us well. I like the fact
that we are now learning to be a bit more open to the
modern world and that we do that with care. So I think that
Edinburgh has opened up and started to see that we have
beautiful buildings from the past. We've started to
understand that if that stops, then we're in trouble. We have
to be able to make beautiful buildings now and in the future
too. So Edinburgh may not be the most advanced city in
Europe, but it may be the most improved city in Europe.
And that's a nice curve to be on.

Posted 13 years ago #
Nelly
Member

chdot - I dont disagree with Malcolm Fraser - and I share the exasperation (street clutter for example).

But on occasion it is done correctly - Missoni Hotel ? Not to everyones taste, but in my opinion, it looks good / fits in pretty well.

But what really annoys (you may have noticed)is pointless - and often ill informed - journalism, which simply panders to a section of the edinburgh public who think that (in order to avoid making mistakes) we should do nothing, chance nothing, achieve nothing.

That is one of the biggest sins in my book.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

By contrast...

"
EDINBURGH Airport has been rated second best in Europe and among the best in the world for customer satisfaction, according to a new independent survey. "
"

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/edinburgh_flies_up_ratings_as_europe_s_second_best_airport_1_2116825

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Edinburgh is not London, Paris or Rome. We are a small capital of a small country: this is where we should look for comparisons. Local worthies and hacks can whinge in public all they want, but it's really not that bad. It's notable that many of the frustrations expressed relate to areas that the city has no responsibility for: national quangos like Historic Scotland or VisitScotland, deregulated utility companies exempt from local roads dept. control, etc.

What I find remarkable is that, without exception, all the visitors from other countries (including England and Wales) that have stayed with us or come on business here, all of them find Edinburgh a delightful and beautiful place.

For a relatively small city we have an amazing wealth of arts, culture and heritage. Personally I find it one of the finest cities in the UK. Yes, we have some problems, but let's not blind ourselves to what an incredible place Edinburgh actually is.

Posted 13 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

This is nonsense. I'm just back from a couple of days in Brussels (work related) and can assure the good Prof that pavements, litter, tourist information etc are all worse then here.

Also, what's with the "lack of interpretation" nonsense - how many people don't have access to a guide book, mobile internet etc. when visiting a city like Edinburgh. Tourist information centres! When was the last time anyone went into one? In my experience they are tat filled hell-holes, with grumpy staff and little actual information.

I also don't agree with comments in the other Scotsman article about the "Edinburgh card" - I have been lucky enough to visit cities all over the world and have never once felt the need to purchase such a card as they are almost always poor value for money or provide access to things I don't want.

Also, it's not that hard to work out public transport in Edinburgh (although I doubt tourists use it that much as everything is within walking distance).

Posted 13 years ago #

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