Friday 21 June 2013

The true cost of an All Inclusive holiday

A number of years ago I lived and worked on a small Greek Island called Kos. I had, without a doubt, some of the best times of my life there.

The island is small, but beautiful, the people were so friendly and the air was thick with people having a great time. Tavernas were bustling with locals and tourists alike, beaches were packed with families showing their children how to build sandcastles or paddling in the sea as further out speedboats zoomed around giving the more adventurous tourist an adrenaline fuelled watersport adventure.
You could see in some of the quieter areas, there was construction going on, huge sprawling hotels that looked about the size of small villages.

Fast forward a few years, I (now all grown up), decide to take my family back to the place we all loved so much for a holiday.

We arrive at the airport and get a cab to the hotel, on the journey we all excitedly look out of the car window of the view that is whizzing by and I get the strangest feeling. The place is almost empty. There are almost no people browsing in the shops or sitting in the little bars/restaurants/tavernas, quite a lot of the shops are closed. Something seems very wrong. After all its only 7pm.

The following day, as we set out to explore the island and try to recapture some memories, I feel almost a sadness come over me. We set out to Tigaki for the day to enjoy the glorious beach and relax in one of the many tavernas and I can honestly say, there was not a soul in the 'high street' and the beach was almost empty...In August. A few places were closed and looking pretty desolate.

However, when you drove/cycled/walked past any of the huge All Inclusive hotels that had sprung up you could hear the sound of loud music and lots of people. So many people all hiding away, holidaying overseas but seeing none of the country they are in.

It followed pretty much the same pattern for the rest of our holiday, and, even though I really enjoyed my holiday (the place is still beautiful and the people are still amazingly friendly), I left with a heavy heart. I felt like I had gone to visit a beloved aunt only to discover she was seriously ill.

Now, I have been on All Inclusive holidays, and they are pretty dire. Maybe I just don't understand the concept. I just don't understand why you would choose a beautiful place to visit and then sit inside the same four walls with someone else telling you when you can eat, what you can eat, what you can do and when you can do it? Why go somewhere with stunning scenery and beautiful beaches and old squares and harbour towns and not see any of it? Why go somewhere with some of the most delicious and freshly prepared food served by friendly, hospitable people and choose to eat mass catered cliche's of local food served up in a glorified school canteen? Why go somewhere with a diverse and vibrant nightlife offer and sit playing bingo and drinking wine that tastes like turps all night? Most All Inclusive hotels run to a spend of 3.5 euros per night, so what on earth are they actually giving you!

The truth is, as we see that times are hard All Inclusive holidays seem like a better option, after all you can "leave your wallet at home". But at what cost? You go away and experience nothing, and to be completely honest, eating out and drinking in most countries is not really that expensive so realistically you are not saving much (if any). The only REAL cost of an All Inclusive holiday is to the many towns all over Europe that are being turned into ghost towns by the increasing number of sprawling AI hotels. Where local businesses are having to reduce staff, reduce wages and eventually close. All Inclusive fans could argue that they contribute to the economy with employment and using local suppliers, what they seem to miss out, is that their staff are often paid 500-750 euros a month for extraordinarily long hours, most supppliers are paid in six month blocks, meaning they dont get paid for up to 6 months at a time which leaves the rent unpaid, the children un-fed and the stress level's high.

All you have to do is do a bit of research before you go. There are so many things to see and do that do not cost the earth and you would still be able to go away, eat, drink, explore, have a great time, make some great friends and help the local economy. After all the destiny of local communities shouldn't be left to profit-driven companies.

So go on, get out there and explore. Show the world that Europe is still open for business!

19 comments:

  1. Very good post - The same is happening in Turkey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. It is something I feel very strongly about and it is, sadly happening everywhere.

      Delete
    2. It is not money , it is dressed as money, quite often tourists are seen as opertunity, that is not hassel and not a holiday .people buy sun and relaxation. Imhate monopolies, we are supposed to be protected from them , Tesco, Sainsbury , Lunpoly , Thomas Cook.They sell ease and convenience , as the product it is , they just all need to learn to treat money less of a God ..we should see price difference and what their staff earn and what they pay for product on the package , they should compete for percentage onto a product , not the price of a product

      Delete
  2. The thing is I've known people go to the AI places and think that because a Greek family run it that they are supporting the Greek people. All they are supporting is the tour operators making a fat profit on the back of the hoteliers. I would never consider AI, self catering is cheaper in my book. AI is a soft option but also a none option as you say

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. as a couple we agree completely with this report/story.we went to cuba last year so had to go a/i,we have been to a lot of places in greece and have always done self catering,we like the choice of going somewhere different every night/day or going to a fast food takeaway,the local ones that do gyros,etc,family run ones not a chain.for us greece has lots to offer,we love the culture,the history,the people,the country.it has an air of sophistication that you can,t get in turkey,spain.as i have said we have been going to greece and her islands for 20+ years and will always go back for the warmth of it,s welcome.self catering always.

      Delete
    2. we have been to greece and her islands for many years now and have always gone s/c,never a/i,except in cuba last year when we had no option b ut to go a/i.we love the culture,the history,the people,and most importantly it,s welcome.we went to corfu[sidari] about 6 years ago and it was a ghost town in places at night,a lot of taverna, shops closing down,we had previously been there in 98 and it was special,vibrant.what a difference.skiathos last year was the same,vibrant but still you could see the edges fraying.a/i holiday,s are exactly like that,pontin,s/butlins type comlexes that offer no personal experience,souless siteswe will always go back to greece,always in a self catering role,we love the flexibilty.

      Delete
  3. I like to look at it all as "different strokes for different folks". However, I think it's insane to spend the big bucks to fly to Europe...only to spend your trip in a resort. For that you could fly more locally and save the money.

    I'm with you though. I went for a week in Mexico and stayed in a resort, but even then I couldn't justify the cost it would have been for AI. I think it's mainly because I don't drink like a fish, and I find better food locally (or in the resort's small deli/grocery store). I fully enjoyed going out to small local spots to try the flavors.

    In Greece especially it was important to me. I was in Athens and had some of the street fare in the Plaka as well as some amazing seafood in Anafiotika. Sitting in the local cafes was waaaay more awesome over hiding in a resort closer to the shore, and even the hotel we stayed at (Hotel Attalos) had a wonderful rooftop deck for those evenings.

    I won't knock someone who wants the AI vacation hiding in a resort, but I still think they should just stay locally then if they want a pool and servants. At least help their local economy or what not. I'm more with you though that many miss out on incredible experiences hiding in a resort.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I still live and work in Greece as a musician. I work in some AI hotels and I can tell you that many staff are not Greek or even living in Greece. Many are brought in from elsewhere as cheaper, and often illegal, labour.
    Payments to both suppliers and staff can happen many months after the work has happened. We took our final payments in March this year when our last shows were in October!

    They use cheaper imported products and call them 'local' when a much better quality and truly local product would not cost that much more, same goes for entertainers and equipment etc.

    But the hardest bit to take, is the people. They love it. They even come back year after year. It's butlins in the sun and it's all they care about. Not the people, not the local economy and not even where they might be. A week in the sun, beer on tap, forget your responsibilities even as a parent as the kids are entertained and can just eat and drink until they're sick and someone else cleans up the mess.

    I don't say all AI customers are like this, I know what I see around me. Many, many people wearing their wristbands out in the town looking at the sights, picking up some souvenirs from the shops, even tasting some real local cuisine. But a restaurant that was used to catering to guests from the local hotels for every meal of every day now sees them once, maybe twice if they really enjoyed it, and it makes a big difference. He has 1 waiter now, not 5 or 6. Same goes for the kitchen. He doesn't bring live musicians to play anymore as he can't justify the cost. The bars around him don't offer entertainment for the same reason, just some TVs and a laptop in the corner playing the music through the dated sound system.

    On top of all that, we get to sit and listen to greek ministers telling us that tourism is up by 50% in some places this year! We won't see them, the streets won't be bustling, the bars and tavernas won't be bouncing, they'll all be counted through the airport, whisked off on coaches and not seen again until they arrive back in the airport for the flight home.

    It's a sad and painful reality, we live it year after year. All the hope and optimism right before a season starts (like right now) followed by the daunting reality that starts to hit home during late May...

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is all so very sad. I love Greece, especially Rhodes where my son in law is from. We go every year - sometimes twice and he is shocked at how much it has changed in the few years he has been here. I have never gone AI but I can see the attraction for families...... children are constantly wanting this that and the other..... plus it cuts out the cost of hiring a car to get you about.
    My daughter went over to live with him in the early years and she found it difficult to get a job even then because of the Polish workers etc. They lived on the beach so they would work for next to nothing.
    A middle ground should be found - I hate to think what the ultimate outcome will be.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well said, Filibear. I live on Rhodes (since 2005) and also ramble (ramblingsfromrhodes.blogspot.com) and I've ranted against all-inclusive for ages. It's not likely to happen, but it would be nice if Tourism Ministers actually started considering the small businesses for a change and not the big businessmen who make a packet out of herding the tourists around for nobody's benefit but their own. There ought to be immediate legislation all over the flaming planet to curtail the move toward all-inclusive, which is killing culture and diversity at a rate of knots. Are we voices crying in the wilderness? Probably, but someone's got to keep speaking out. You may like to read my piece on this page: http://ramblingsfromrhodes.blogspot.gr/p/news-stuff.html

    You'll have to scroll down a long way, but the piece is entitled "Please Do Read This" - A Crisis Kostas" and it's dated July 6th 2012. I'll stick a link to this [your] post on that very page right after I've finished this comment!!


    Best wishes, John Manuel, Rhodes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will definitely take a look John. Ill also link yours, lets get word out there!

      Delete
    2. I wonder how many AI guests realise quite how crap the food is that their hotels purchase and prepare for them too, eh? They use the cheapest, rubbishest ingredients that they can. After all, they figure, the guests won't know will they.

      Delete
  7. Wow! Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this, and thank you for your comments. This is something I feel very strongly about and all your support means a lot to me.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are so RIGHT!!! I am working on Crete and here it looks the same: in high season the roads look like april, a few tourists looking (and only looking) around a while and then returning to their hotels, beacause tehy are afraid they will miss a drink or a snack for free or they will be too late for Karaoke or something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very nice post. Here in Crete we have many low cost carrier flights coming in, which means more individual bookings and people choosing for self catering and going out for dinner. Still, tavernas see that people don't spend that much as they used too.
    Touroperators say that is what their customers want but I believe is that they made it their customers wanting it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so true. We have met people on Rhodes who've gone into a hotel that they wanted to stay in whilst here and been told that they had plenty of rooms to spare. But the tour operator had told them when they wanted to book that it was full and they were sold a AI holiday instead. Seems that tour operators are resorting to lies to get people into AI holidays.

      Delete
  10. I have been visiting Rhodes since I was in my early twenties and remember exactly the atmosphere you are talking about in Kos and how I remember Rhodes. I had a few years break when having children from Rhodes and for my fortieth my husband and I managed to go back on our own for a few days which was heaven. Unfortunately, I had that exact same feeling on our first day there and what was even worse we took a bus to Falaraki to visit our old hotel and old haunts and it was unrecognisable except for the beach. Shops and restaurants shut down, graffiti, and sad looking. We finally managed to find our hotel which was completely derelict and unloved. Yes, i also had a heavy heart. When we cam home I said to my husband I really want to take our boys to Rhodes next year and let them experience what an amazing island it was as there only experience had been AI in Egypt! I was determined to stay in Lindos as i'd never stayed there for more than a few hours. We managed to book a hotel on the Krana which is a newer development of hotels off the main Lindos road above Lindos Town. Obviously we went self catering so we could sample the many delights of the local restaurants. I can tell you now why people do inclusive, as its just too expensive to take a family anymore to Greece! We spent over £2k to stay in school holidays self catering and this was the cheapest deal we could get after months of searching but the fun and games started when we got there! Supermarkets stocking brand names that we would recognise from home at exuberant prices! I'm not bothered on brand and bought local produce but its processed packet meats, and fruit and veg was poor quality and usually imported. On our arrival we had a toasted sandwich each at the hotel with 2 beers and 2 soft drinks and this was over 43 euros! my god converting that amount back to the old Drachma you could have lived in that for a couple of days. Eating out every night soon became a mission to find the cheapest place and considering we all prefer to eat greek food you would presume this would be the cheapest, and although the price for a moussakka was about the same in each restaurant the size of the meal was a lot to be desired. So before long we are paying around 70 euros for a meal each night taking a hike back up to the hotel and an hour later I'm making snacks for the boys in our self catering room! Cutting a long story short I honestly think the greek economy is hitting them hard and they are trying to claw back obviously on their tourism and although I understand the costs would have to go up I don't understand why the authenticity, charm and generosity of the old Greek ways had to go with it. Id never thought it would be the same price as having a meal out in the UK, the big difference is you come out full from a restaurant in this country. Last years holiday cost us over £3.5k in the end. I am pleased to say I am still in love with Rhodes and will be returning this year but to Kolymbia as Lindos is £700 more this year for the same holiday, but we are going AI and the reason being I don't have to worry about money and budgeting when we are supposed to be having a break from all that. The kids can get a drink when they need one and the food will always have something edible lets face it. I don't intend to stay in the hotel at all, the local bus service is still good value and we can do a few days back in Lindos and Rhodes old town with a pack up from the hotel. We know when we get back that we have a meal and a couple of local beers without fretting about where to go or shall we just have a gyros tonight! This has cost us £2.5k and even if we do have a couple of meals out during that time it will still be a thousand pounds cheaper!! Thats why....

    ReplyDelete
  11. The issue of AI, among many other tourism related topics, was at the heart of discussions at the 1st Corfu Symposium on Managing and Marketing Places http://corfusymposium.com/. AI is not going to go away any time soon. In Corfu, where I now live, I am noticing this issue changing resorts, and not for the better in my personal opinion. However, it is not all dire news for Greek islands - during the Symposium last week that attracted international academics, politicians and tourism business owners, a number of possible strategies were proposed, and we heard about some examples where resorts are flourishing without AI.

    ReplyDelete