The British countryside’s “white and middle class” image puts off Asian visitors, a BBC presenter has claimed.
Nihal Arthanayake said that there is an illusion that rural areas are unwelcoming to ethnic minorities.
The broadcaster, author and guest presenter of BBC 4’s Winter Walks said that this image has impacted the number of non-white visitors to some of the UK’s most celebrated landscapes.
The 51-year-old – who is of Sri Lankan descent – told the Country Walking magazine that in reality walkers are “happy to see you”.
“There is this barrier; a perception, often perpetuated by social media trolls, that the countryside is inherently white and middle class,” he said.
**’People are happy to see you’**
“I think it does have an impact because I’m often surprised by how few Asian families I see in the Peak District when the communities of Manchester and Sheffield are so close.
“But when you go out there, overwhelmingly you will find that people are just happy. Happy to be there and happy to see you.
“We live in one of the most tolerant countries on the planet, and whether I’m walking by myself or with the family, I’ve never felt anything other than welcome.
“The more people we can spread the word to, that walking is healthy and wonderful and normal, the fewer barriers there will be.
“And the more conversations people have when they’re outdoors, the more they will feel it’s a place where they belong. Just little chats. But they make a big difference.”
What is he expecting to see in the British Countryside? The river ganges? The Taj Mahal?
It’s literally a white dominated country. What else is expected?
Can we please stop making everything about race all the time. If they get the job through their own merit…..that should be enough…..
So they should do what that ‘Muslim hikers’ group has done and totally segregate themselves from everyone else in their south Asian only group, on the topic, would anyone like to join my white Christian only walking group?
And?
Should white people complain about predominantly Asian countries not having enough whites?
Seems pretty valid. Basically saying that there isn’t a problem and people are welcoming, but an incorrect perception puts Asian people off going in the first place.
Interestingly from my experience Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon seems been seeing increasing numbers of non-white walkers since lockdown – it would be interesting to see stats on it.
When I go to the countryside it’s not to see great scenery, to eat jam scones and drink some tea at a picnic table.
I go to the countryside to see white people.
I appreciate that he himself is basically saying it’s nonsense, but I’m getting pretty fed up with the openly accepted racism of certain ethnic groups. There’s absolutely no criticism of the idea you’d stay away from an area because of the majority ethnicity.
Imagine me writing a post about white people avoiding an area because its full of brown people. Would we be discussing how silly that it is because the brown people are welcoming or would we be rightly discussing the disgusting racism on display.
If you don’t want to go to the countryside that’s on you – if you don’t want to go because of the white people, congrats, you’re a racist.
Wow, they avoid the groups who are shitty against them, big shocker guys well done
Super click bait title!!!! He said there was a “perception” that the countryside “was white and middle class” “perpetuated by social media trolls”. He said that the country was “one of the most tolerant in the world” and that people were “overwhelmingly ……happy to see you“. So many comments here seem to have fallen for the click bait rage generator title.
Reading these comments would put me off Reddit if I was brown!!!!!
ITT: people reacting to the headline without reading the article and telling on themselves *hard*
Are they racist? Imagine if a Brit said that about Asia… “too many yellow people… nah I’m out!!!!”
I was listening to the radio 5 movie show and they were taking about the new Whitney Houston biopic he mentioned why did they not cast a black American woman (they cast a British black woman) they two presenters were quick to tell him that maybe the person they cast was best for the job.
He seems to have a habit of saying the most idiotic thing on race.
Tell me, what colour people reside in the Indian countryside?
Don’t move to an ethnic part of the world and then whine that the ethnic population is ethnic and not to your skin tone preferences
Where is the Visitor pigmentation survey data to support this claim?
[removed]
You know why it’s called the country?
It’s all cunts and trees.
Fight racism with more racism. Genius idea brought to you by the progressive left and the useful idiots that have been brought up thinking this is ok.
People are saying “read the article” but isn’t it up to the Telegraph, or perhaps OP, to figure out a better headline?
It’s been posted as a provocation.
Strange this same news peddled out many years ago on Countryfile.
BBC shitweasles……
Now let me toddle off to an Asian country and scream there’s to many Black milky Brown etc people as a White person, I’ll be lynched.
Oh, dear, how dare part of England be mostly occupied by middle class natives, this simply won’t do
British cities’ ‘BAME and poor’ image puts off White visitors
Hur Hur read the article, they’re using white and middle class to mean hostile and uninviting, it’s not racist at all
British countryside attracts me solely because of its natural beauty and environment. What makes Cotswold and Somerset kind of white and middle class is due to the rising country property prices in the area. If you could afford buying a property in the area, regardless of your race and social class, you become part of the so-called posh community. Capitalism distorts the perception that nature and its resources should be shared by all people.
Imagine moving to a country where you are “put off” by its existing inhabitants. Sounds a lot like a “you” problem.
>And the more conversations people have when they’re outdoors, the more they will feel it’s a place where they belong
29 comments
The British countryside’s “white and middle class” image puts off Asian visitors, a BBC presenter has claimed.
Nihal Arthanayake said that there is an illusion that rural areas are unwelcoming to ethnic minorities.
The broadcaster, author and guest presenter of BBC 4’s Winter Walks said that this image has impacted the number of non-white visitors to some of the UK’s most celebrated landscapes.
The 51-year-old – who is of Sri Lankan descent – told the Country Walking magazine that in reality walkers are “happy to see you”.
“There is this barrier; a perception, often perpetuated by social media trolls, that the countryside is inherently white and middle class,” he said.
**’People are happy to see you’**
“I think it does have an impact because I’m often surprised by how few Asian families I see in the Peak District when the communities of Manchester and Sheffield are so close.
“But when you go out there, overwhelmingly you will find that people are just happy. Happy to be there and happy to see you.
“We live in one of the most tolerant countries on the planet, and whether I’m walking by myself or with the family, I’ve never felt anything other than welcome.
“The more people we can spread the word to, that walking is healthy and wonderful and normal, the fewer barriers there will be.
“And the more conversations people have when they’re outdoors, the more they will feel it’s a place where they belong. Just little chats. But they make a big difference.”
What is he expecting to see in the British Countryside? The river ganges? The Taj Mahal?
It’s literally a white dominated country. What else is expected?
Can we please stop making everything about race all the time. If they get the job through their own merit…..that should be enough…..
So they should do what that ‘Muslim hikers’ group has done and totally segregate themselves from everyone else in their south Asian only group, on the topic, would anyone like to join my white Christian only walking group?
And?
Should white people complain about predominantly Asian countries not having enough whites?
Seems pretty valid. Basically saying that there isn’t a problem and people are welcoming, but an incorrect perception puts Asian people off going in the first place.
Interestingly from my experience Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon seems been seeing increasing numbers of non-white walkers since lockdown – it would be interesting to see stats on it.
When I go to the countryside it’s not to see great scenery, to eat jam scones and drink some tea at a picnic table.
I go to the countryside to see white people.
I appreciate that he himself is basically saying it’s nonsense, but I’m getting pretty fed up with the openly accepted racism of certain ethnic groups. There’s absolutely no criticism of the idea you’d stay away from an area because of the majority ethnicity.
Imagine me writing a post about white people avoiding an area because its full of brown people. Would we be discussing how silly that it is because the brown people are welcoming or would we be rightly discussing the disgusting racism on display.
If you don’t want to go to the countryside that’s on you – if you don’t want to go because of the white people, congrats, you’re a racist.
Wow, they avoid the groups who are shitty against them, big shocker guys well done
Super click bait title!!!! He said there was a “perception” that the countryside “was white and middle class” “perpetuated by social media trolls”. He said that the country was “one of the most tolerant in the world” and that people were “overwhelmingly ……happy to see you“. So many comments here seem to have fallen for the click bait rage generator title.
Reading these comments would put me off Reddit if I was brown!!!!!
ITT: people reacting to the headline without reading the article and telling on themselves *hard*
Are they racist? Imagine if a Brit said that about Asia… “too many yellow people… nah I’m out!!!!”
I was listening to the radio 5 movie show and they were taking about the new Whitney Houston biopic he mentioned why did they not cast a black American woman (they cast a British black woman) they two presenters were quick to tell him that maybe the person they cast was best for the job.
He seems to have a habit of saying the most idiotic thing on race.
Tell me, what colour people reside in the Indian countryside?
Don’t move to an ethnic part of the world and then whine that the ethnic population is ethnic and not to your skin tone preferences
Where is the Visitor pigmentation survey data to support this claim?
[removed]
You know why it’s called the country?
It’s all cunts and trees.
Fight racism with more racism. Genius idea brought to you by the progressive left and the useful idiots that have been brought up thinking this is ok.
People are saying “read the article” but isn’t it up to the Telegraph, or perhaps OP, to figure out a better headline?
It’s been posted as a provocation.
Strange this same news peddled out many years ago on Countryfile.
BBC shitweasles……
Now let me toddle off to an Asian country and scream there’s to many Black milky Brown etc people as a White person, I’ll be lynched.
Oh, dear, how dare part of England be mostly occupied by middle class natives, this simply won’t do
British cities’ ‘BAME and poor’ image puts off White visitors
Hur Hur read the article, they’re using white and middle class to mean hostile and uninviting, it’s not racist at all
British countryside attracts me solely because of its natural beauty and environment. What makes Cotswold and Somerset kind of white and middle class is due to the rising country property prices in the area. If you could afford buying a property in the area, regardless of your race and social class, you become part of the so-called posh community. Capitalism distorts the perception that nature and its resources should be shared by all people.
Imagine moving to a country where you are “put off” by its existing inhabitants. Sounds a lot like a “you” problem.
>And the more conversations people have when they’re outdoors, the more they will feel it’s a place where they belong
Deport this man he’s clearly an American spy!