i shortened it to make it easier for you to get the point. Anyway you read it it says the same thing. British Bars Fold = Good Thing.

I agree with Sanji on this one, just my opinion, thought I'd make it clear but these cheap shops that are springing up in all the big Spanish holiday resorts do nothing for their image and to be honest I do not see that they serve any purpose whatsoever.

I've never pretented to be a Benidorm fan, but the things that people are describing in Benidorm are certainly not exclusive to Benidorm. My last few visits to Salou I have seen a steady increase in the Asian tat shops that nobody seem to appreciate being there (having said that, someone must be buying otherwise I would have thought they would have gone under).

Also, at the same time I have seen a few British bars go by the wayside and Spanish bars open in their place which I also see as a positive thing.

Yes people still want to have the option of Sausage, egg & chips but this is also the reason why many people choose not to go to Spanish resorts - its all about getting the balance right, and at the end of the day if British bars are closing and Spanish bars are opening in their place then its because the British bars are no longer in as high demand and people are maybe tired of this format. There will always be a place for the British bar but I think we also like to feel like we are in Spain when we are in Spain.

Nobody wants to see businesses go down the pan but if there is no call for the service they are providing then its a natural progression that this will happen.

Those that survive will be the ones that provide a quality service whilst not outpricing themselves. We don't necessarily want to sit in a scummy bar just because its 50p a pint, what people do want is good value for money.

Those that adapt to the current situation will survive, those that don't, won't!

Just my opinion, although I'm sure I'm right!!

The recession will end eventually and our favourite resorts will survive, but some hard lessons may have to be learnt along the way.

Mark

Well I agree with luv2tan on this one , if you want culture, Spanish Bars & Tapas go to Barcelona. Benidorm was built up for the Egg & Chip Brigade to quote an old cliche its our "Blackpool in the Sun"!

Sorry Tubs but Benidorm is most certainly not ours, its Spain's!!

"All of Benidorm relies on British tourism, not just the Levante area."

too be honest , i dont think many would argue against that , ive met many spanish in my years in benidorm that say without the british trade , benidorm would still be a fishing village .

anyway , arnt we going off topic , all the original poster said was it was very quiet .

and it is .

Just returned from 2 weeks in Benidorm, Most people in my hotel were spanish, I found out the reason for this as I talked to some of them, In Spain pensioners get 3 x 7 day holidays per year from the Spanish goverment all they have to pay is £25 and thats for the All inclusive or Half board accomadation, They get free travel also to anywhere in Spain, I found out from my 2 week trip that their was a lot of older Spanish people in the Levante side of Benidorm, And in talking to Hotel staff they told me that they have thousands of older Spanish pensioners every year.

When we were in the Monika Aparthotel at Easter four years ago there were a lot of Spanish pensioners in there who nearly filled the hotel. They were also having their seven day holiday thanks to the Spanish Government.

Most people in my hotel were spanish, I found out the reason for this as I talked to some of them, In Spain pensioners get 3 x 7 day holidays per year from the Spanish goverment all they have to pay is £25 and thats for the All inclusive or Half board accomadation, And in talking to Hotel staff they told me that they have thousands of older Spanish pensioners every year.

I'm sorry, but that is not true and there is another reason why you'll find Spanish pensioners on holiday in the resort and it's actually to do with employment, or rather keeping other people in employment.

Sanji

I'm sorry Sanji but it IS true. The Spanish old people ARE given free holidays from the Government. That is why at certain times of the year there are a lot of Spanish Pensioners in some hotels, because those hotels are the ones that are on the "list" for them to choose from.

Lisa, I'm sorry but it is NOT true and if it wasn't for these Spanish pensioner's, Benidorm and many other resorts would be a hell of a lot quieter than they are, and many people would be out of work in Spain because when hotels close, it has a ripple effect or knock on effect throughout other businesses in Spain.
It is a myth probably circulated by the British, those who seem to have some sort of problem with Spanish pensioners going on holiday in Spanish hotels in Spain, it's as if some people think they have no right to do this, and it's far more complicated because there are certain criteria that the pensionable Spanish have to qualify to be able to go on this programme, and it's not just about sending Spanish OAP's on holiday, it involves keeping people in mass employment throughout Spain and the government not paying out mass benefits.

Let's try and end the myth once again......
They don't get sent anywhere, they have to apply.
They have to qualify for the programme, which is run by Imserso
They all pay albeit a reduced rate depending on the type of holiday they apply for.
It is not free and neither is it £25, the lowest rate for the season 2008/2009 is €134.20 for an 8 day holiday in certain provinces and they don't get to chose the hotel, they apply to go on holiday and the programme allocates certain hotels, depending on which type of holiday they have applied for, and have been accepted for between October and June..

I'll refer you to this post I made last June and the Imserso link which will show you the rates for this season.
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=121457&p=1212087&hilit=Imserso#p1212087

Sending these pensioners to certain hotels in Benidorm might be helping to keep the hotel open for 12 months and keep people in work, the British don't run Benidorm or the Spanish government, although some people might think they do. So, next time someone tells you Lisa that pensioners are sent on a freebie holiday, you can tell them it isn't true.:wink:

Sanji

Thank you for your words of wisdom, but just to clarify, I didn't say they were "sent" anywhere. Also in February, Benidorm is not a quiet place, it's still got all the winter long stay people who come from November to March. The Spanish Pensioners have an entitlement which they use, quite rightly, to take a holiday here.

I, personally have no problem with the Spanish coming to Spain (and Benidorm in particular) for their holidays, after all it's their country!!!

And people don't just "tell" me things, I live here and have done for the last 7 years so I think I have a fairly good idea what's going on, thank you.

" The Spanish old people ARE given free holidays from the Government "

that is true , i speaks to loads of oap spanish at the hotels i stay at , and all would verify that .

i just wish our goverment would do the same .

Sanji please try and enter a discussion without attacking the poster. This isnt a boxing forum, its a discussion forum.

Luv2tan.
There is a very capable moderator on this forum who will decide, not you.
I was replying to this.....

Just returned from 2 weeks in Benidorm, Most people in my hotel were spanish, I found out the reason for this as I talked to some of them, In Spain pensioners get 3 x 7 day holidays per year from the Spanish goverment all they have to pay is £25 and thats for the All inclusive or Half board accomadation

I'm sorry Sanji but it IS true. The Spanish old people ARE given free holidays from the Government. That is why at certain times of the year there are a lot of Spanish Pensioners in some hotels, because those hotels are the ones that are on the "list" for them to choose from.

You've got the link for the GOVERNMENT programme and still you want to argue.......

all the hundreds of spanish OAPs ive spoke to in all my years visiting benidorm must have been telling me porkies about free holidays .....wait till i see them

And people don't just "tell" me things, I live here and have done for the last 7 years so I think I have a fairly good idea what's going on, thank you.

Lisa
I didn't mean you said they were "sent", the word "sent" was included in a paragraph regarding the general rules of the programme and when I said "you can tell others that it is not true", I put a wink at the end of my sentence, this information will be advantageous for you , seeing as you're a Benidorm destination expert on another forum.

Sanji
Edit for typo error

luv2tan wrote:

Sanji please try and enter a discussion without attacking the poster. This isnt a boxing forum, its a discussion forum.

I have just read the whole of this thread twice, and in no way can I see an attack on the poster by Sanji. All I can see is sound advice complete with links. I have been helped enormously here on HT, and I'm a great fan of the whole site, but I certainly don't come on here to read IMO uncalled for comments aimed at posters.

I suppose to a Spanish OAP, a holiday for 150 euros a week with no travel costs is effectively a "free" holiday. Pity I don't have something similar to look forward to when I retire!
To get back on track.
The apartments we stay at are probably 90% Spanish. Benidorm, as a town, does not "need" the British. It wants us, because we allegedly spend the most money while we are there, but could survive quite well on Spanish and other europeans who don't have our exchange rate problems. Without us going there for the last forty years it would indeed still be a fishing village. We've effectively built them a resort, it's now up to them what they do with it. They don't need our money to build it again!
When people say it's "quiet in Benidorm" they mean it's quiet in the bars the British use. Look at the beach during the day or the old town at night and see how "quiet" it really is.

I am sorry but I am reading the thread aswell and I read it like it is implied that the poster who lives in Benidorm does not have a clue what she is talking about, which is indeed very rude. I also don't understand the sarky comment about being a destination expert on another forum, so what?

We could all holiday in an area a lot and post stuff as factual but it does not mean that it is and everyone has the right to share their information.

Back to the OP, I have not been abroad yet this year but can fully appreciate that everywhere will be struggling this year and places will be closing. I also fail to see how the Spanish will thrive and take over the tat shops etc when the whole of the world is struggling financially(I like musing in the tat shops BTW). The fact is if places close the place could well become a ghost town as lots of people are already jumping ship and avoiding the eurozone this year or not holidaying at all because they have no money/jobs etc etc.

Fingers crossed that everything turns around asap and life gets back to normal.