I'm not judging an entire nation's tourist industry from the experiences of a single resort,far from it,this comes from the management of the TO's etc,they all seem to sing the same tune in the last 3 or 4 years.

It would be a shame if people did avoid Greece under a misconception that prices will rise in a recession,it's certainly not the case in Faliraki and not in other resorts on other islands i've been to since the crash,infact it seems completely unchanged accross the board. I just think there's some definite weight to the argument that your common or garden family looking for a holiday in whatever country is available will choose elsewhere due to what you get for your money,it's simple economics,if i have £500 to spend per person say,and am unfussed whether it's Greece,Spain,Portugal or wherever i'm more likely to go for the country that gives me the big shiny new hotel with all the facilites on-site for both adults and kids,giant pool,sky TV,security guards etc etc,and it's pretty obvious from looking at any mainline brochure that Greece sadly isn't going to win that competition!

I just think there's some definite weight to the argument that your common or garden family looking for a holiday in whatever country is available will choose elsewhere due to what you get for your money,it's simple economics,if i have £500 to spend per person say,and am unfussed whether it's Greece,Spain,Portugal or wherever i'm more likely to go for the country that gives me the big shiny new hotel with all the facilites on-site for both adults and kids,giant pool,sky TV,security guards etc etc,and it's pretty obvious from looking at any mainline brochure that Greece sadly isn't going to win that competition!

I can't be part of a common or garden family in that case as I definitely wouldn't choose the type of hotel you've described. Why?
1. don't want big hotel as I find the service is impersonal
2. Not looking for facilities on-site for kids or adults.
3. Sky TV? No thanks, I get enough of tv at home and don't go on hols to watch tv.

This must be why I love holidaying in Greece and so do may others like me. I don't think we can generalise, Greece is Greece for what it is and I'm perfectly happy for others to choose other countries if they don't think they're getting value for money.

Thats kind of my point really, in what you are saying. People will go for where they get best value for money. I dont feel they are turning away from Greece for the reasons you give though. I have children (hence the end of my repping days!) and I would never take them anywhere all-inclusive, never!

big shiny new hotel with all the facilites on-site for both adults and kids,giant pool,sky TV,security guards etc etc

This is exactly what i dont want from my Greek holiday. I dont want the hustle and bustle and dire food and plastic glasses, sticking my kids in a kids club all day. I want to speak to Tassos, an onwer who is working behind the bar and cleaning the pool, who has ten rooms and looks after them well. Greece is about its setting, its weather and most of all its people. Once thats lost to the big hotel chains, its time to give up!

FYI my holiday this summer, with my wife and two children (4 and 18 months) is a 19 day Greek island hopping trip taking in Tinos, Syros, Folegandros and Santorini. Always staying in Guesthouses/apartments. They will love it.

For me it's an early season trip to Alykes with the lads(yes,a lads holiday in Alykes!),then a whole summer of god knows what madness followed by 2 weeks on the costa blanca with the missus.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Greece from my point of view,otherwise why would i choose to live,work and holiday there,what i'm saying before all the grecophiles jump in is that not everyone has the same wants/tastes and many,if not most are driven by a completely different outlook towards holidays,not everyone loves the place or even cares where they are as long as it's hot,sunny,well catered and within easy reach,for most people that does mean spain,how else would there be more beds in somewhere like benidorm than in the whole of the greek islands(reportedly).

Back on topic,the greek way of life,i'd say 8 hours of sleep followed by 16 hours of shouting at your relatives/the TV/other drivers/albanians/the dog pretty much sums it up,interspersed with mammoth bouts of eating and the odd cat nap ,or if you're a bar owner,replace 8 hours of the above with 8 hours of sitting outside on a stool with a laser pen and a frappe while the english lads sweat their bollocks off for your retirement fund

We,re just back from Cuba where we spent the last 4 night at the AI Melia Varadero. Lovely hotel, good location & good food, no complaints. We just couldn't imagine this sort of holiday in Greece.
Joeyc, try to fit in Antiparos your 4 year old would love the cave. We are also in Syros & Tinos for our first Greek trip this year, never visited either of these islands before.

I'm off to Spain for a week next week- no, not a big AI but a small and friendly B&B in a traditional 'village'. Why not Greece you may ask, if I love it so much? Well, as I'm only going for a week I opted for budget airline from my local airport (can't get this to Greece unfortunately) but am most definitely looking forward to my fortnight on Zakynthos in August

Yes i have done the bright new hotel with pool and sat t/v [not sky] but it wasn't by any stretch of the imagination large,
no i have never found Greece expensive the prices over the last 3 years have been fairly static and i have always been able to fine a large Mythos for 2-50 Euro and i don't compare prices with the UK only previous holidays

Back on topic,the greek way of life,i'd say 8 hours of sleep followed by 16 hours of shouting at your relatives/the TV/other drivers/albanians/the dog pretty much sums it up

I think i have met your friend, but he is nothing like the majority of Greeks i have met over the years, I have always found them friendly and helpful and mostly hard working

We go to Greece for the weather ,Food, and sites of interest [no not the topless beach]

yasus
wizard

just a satirical view of what we see around us every day mate,obviously exaggerated for comedy,i don't think you'd get it unless you've lived in greece but it really is hilarious

're,i cannot pay you tonight,you wait til tomorrow re,i have no money with me' and then nonchalantly pulls out a wad of 50 euro notes and strolls over to his mercedes SLK


're malaka,my back is bad,is this way in greece,you no understand'


i love em

According to today's Mirror prices have gone down in Greece for eating out and shopping, though not as low as Spain.

I like Greece, warts and all, and will continue to visit (studio holidays) as long as I am able. I have only been to one place which wasn't too friendly towards tourists....Skala in Kefalonia. All the other places we visited were friendly and some we have been treated like honoured guests. We don't want to intrude in anyone's life though and are quite happy if they are just civil. We go on holiday to spend time with each other and explore the lovely country (always in May for the late spring flowers) and recuperate, and if we make friends it's a bonus.

Roll on May!

I'm on countdown to May 5th........then I'm off to my beloved Greek Islands in this case Kos and Kalymnos, and you know what I think I'm going to book another Greek Holiday for October. I am seriously thinking of retiring to Greece, because I just love the idea of waking up in the morning having a shower, then debating whether I should lie by the pool (Oh yes there will be a pool) or just sit on the patio and completely chill out, perhaps potter about in my arthritis friendly garden, bake Kleftico Lamb, or just Kalimares and Greek Salad, pick a few figs off the tree for dessert, or maybe just wander down to the beach, listen to the gentle waves kissing the shoreline while I do my crossword, then when it gets too hot take a dip in the turquoise blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Oh yes!!! bring it on...................are you with me?

Oh yes! If only. Oh keeps mentioning it but it's a long way off!!! They keep raising the age of retirement, don't know when it is now!

We're off to Crete on the 10th. We are having a rural villa for the first time so will test the life out. It will be lovely to have a pool to cool off and be available whenever I feel the urge, without an audience, but the first thing we will be doing is looking for an unpopular beach because I love messing around in the sea too.

can't wait!

only a couple more weeks and its off to Cefalonia, and Kos in September , just secured a week off work in July for my birthday still trying to work out if we can afford another trip abroad somewhere or a weeks camping in the UK

Beachlizard's post is the best yet in my opinion and pretty much sums up the average day in the lives of us workers more than the Greek's own way of life.

The only hard part really is returning to the UK at any time,life is just too mundane!

I'm with you, Beachlizard. I love Greece; there is nowhere quite like it.

I'm with you Beachlizard. When are we off?

I'm there BeachLizard! In fact I can feel the sand inbetween my toes, the warm breeze on my face, there is a glass of cold Mythos in front of me and the most difficult thing I have had to decide today is what I should have for lunch, Greek Salad or Greek Salad!

I hope somebody's ordered my metaxa and Ouzo in.

Off to Symi again tomorrow for a month, including Greek Easter. I hope there is still some Mythos and ouzo left.

Oh Symi is so magical. Have a lovely time.