WHAT is tourist week?

I Googled it and came up with English Tourism Week? There's some info here if this is what you mean:- http://www.visitengland.org/england-tourism-industry/etw/

I thought it was when the government gave every body the money for a holiday to stimulate the tourist industry

I thought it was when the government gave every body the money for a holiday to stimulate the tourist industry

That is also my understanding Shrimper, it applies to Spain (maybe other countries too?) and is the last week in September Jeffro

Thanks Kiltman

So is the last week in September when a lot of pensioners in Spain get their holidays?

So is the last week in September when a lot of pensioners in Spain get their holidays

That is the very one Glynis a lot of towns and villages also have some type of festival celebration thing on at the same time.

Wow, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read this thread.

Kiltman HT Mod wrote:

I thought it was when the government gave every body the money for a holiday to stimulate the tourist industry

That is also my understanding Shrimper, it applies to Spain (maybe other countries too?) and is the last week in September Jeffro :tup

The Spanish government doesn't give anybody money to go on holiday, everybody pays, albeit a reduced rate.
The Imserso scheme is run by the government solely for pensioners, yes, the pensioners get a subsidised holiday if they get accepted and they meet the scheme's criteria - Its purpose is to keep hotels and local businesses open, and by keeping people in work, they (government) don't have to pay out unemployment benefit on a mass scale, when resorts would normally shut down.

It includes those who are directly or indirectly connected to the tourist sector, it's not just those who work in the hotels, it has a 'knock-on' effect on those who are employed in other sectors, such as, the farmers, the laundry industry, the goods drivers, the electricians, plumbers , mechanics and coach companies. etc.

The scheme operates from October to the end of May, so, any Spanish mature person in a hotel outside of these months has paid the same going rate as you or I. Surprisingly enough, there isn't a national (public) holiday during the month of September, so, any fiesta is a local one, such as in Torremolinos and the San Miguel fiesta.
I should also point out that the scheme is accessible to any pensioner of any nationality, who is registered as a resident in Spain, as long as they meet the criteria to be accepted.

August is when most Spaniards take their holiday and businesses shut down, Madrid and Sevilla is notorious for this- they escape the torturous heat in the cities and head for somewhere cooler. It's also the month when the roads are horrendous with the sheer volume of traffic.

Sanji

Edit for typo error.

yes, the pensioners get a subsidised holiday if they get accepted and they meet the scheme's criteria

The scheme operates from October to the end of May, so, any Spanish mature person in a hotel between these months has paid the same going rate as you or I.

Don't understand this, does that mean that UK visitors are getting subsidised accomodation?

No Del, it means if you are not a Spanish pensioner, but you are a permanent registered resident (pensioner of any nationality in Spain) and you meet the criteria to be accepted by the scheme, then you have the same entitlement as a Spaniard to go on a subsidised break.

Sanji

A bit clearer, it was the bit suggesting that Spanish seniors would pay the same as I that was confusing me.
The scheme would not apply to me as a British resident, only if I was a resident of Spain.

cheers Sanji, thought that I had spotted a bargain!

del949 wrote:

A bit clearer, it was the bit suggesting that Spanish seniors would pay the same as I that was confusing me

If they are not on the Imserso scheme or some other local organised trip, then they are paying the same hotel's 'going rate' as what anybody else does.
I often read posts on the t'ternet where posters are complaining about the Spanish pensioners having their 'free' holiday in their hotel during the months of June, July, August and September.
1. It's not free.
2. It is impossible because the scheme does not run during these months, and as I've already said, it runs from October to the end of May.

It is of course quite possible that private tour companies or local organisations/clubs arrange trips during these 'summer' months, where the majority of their customers may be senior citizens - but to say that the Spanish pensioners descend on hotels via their government during the summer months, I'm afraid this is total nonsense.

cheers Sanji, thought that I had spotted a bargain!

I'd be the first in the queue, although I doubt I would meet the criteria, because it is means tested.

Sanji x

Perfectly clear now thanks, sanji.

Maybe we should ask Mr (call me Dave) Cameron to do the same for british deserving pensioners.
I'm sure he would be delighted to do so.

del949 wrote:

Perfectly clear now thanks, sanji.

Maybe we should ask Mr (call me Dave) Cameron to do the same for british deserving pensioners.
I'm sure he would be delighted to do so. :D

Yeah, he'd send us to Liverpool in a hotel called ' Care Pathway'

Sanji x

to true to be funny though

Well if Ed gets in next time he will probably take Stafford out of admin and let you stay there for a week , all inclusive apparently

andy66 wrote:

Well if Ed gets in next time he will probably take Stafford out of admin and let you stay there for a week , all inclusive apparently ;)

to true to be funny though :(

True Del, but I couldn't resist.

Sanji x

Deleted

Right, I'd better be serious . I've been reading about Imserso today and the woes of Spain seem to be never ending.
This year the scheme will run from late November to the end of May, the number of places have been reduced - Last season it was 2,200,000 in comparison to 1,727,000 for this year.

The Spanish hotel industry is concerned that their efforts to keep hotels up and running during the off-peak season will be hit by the loss of Imserso clients.... If hotels close that means more people unemployed.
Coastal areas and other tourist destinations could find it making a difference to the number of visitors during the winter season.

Spanish news announced today that 27% of the workforce are unemployed, in other words, 6 million people without a job.
The fall in applicants and the subsequent fall in the number of places available, is not down to the scheme losing its popularity, quite the contrary, it's been very successful for over 25 years.

The main cause is that pensioners are now finding that they are having to support a large number of families - the pensioners interviewed said "that they found it impossible to spend money on a holiday when they have to help their children and grandchildren".

It's not expected to get any better for next year's season either, and beyond that, who knows?

For all those who moan about the Spanish pensioners having a subsidised break in a Spanish hotel, in Spain, well, there won't be as many of them this coming winter.
On the other side of the coin, if you find that a hotel which normally stays open during the low season, which enables countless British pensioners to have a holiday and escape the cold - don't moan if it now closes, because you now know the reason why.

Sanji