US anger over Lockerbie release could hurt UK business

The recent release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has angered US consumers, who are now campaigning to avoid Britain as a holiday destination and boycott British products.

Websites have appeared urging American consumers to stop buying Whisky, shun petrol from BP gas stations and avoid visiting Scotland and Britain. Unfortunately, the campaigners have failed to recognise the distinction between Scotland, and the rest of the UK - England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The campaigners are telling American tourists to consider travelling to Ireland as an alternative.

Scottish businesses are said to be monitoring the situation, with tourist board VisitScotland concerned that tourism will be affected as it has just launched a ‘homecoming’ campaign based around American tourists with Scottish ancestry visiting Scotland.

The Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, granted an early compassionate release to the terminally ill Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who was the only person to be convicted of the 1991 Pan Am Lockerbie bombing.

28/08/09