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Post by Laurence G on Aug 15, 2018 9:53:39 GMT 2
I agree Wendy and therein lies the problem for Roda and everywhere else that UK holidaymakers go to now and may not be able to in the future because of the uncertainty of Brexit and the use of the EHIC card which is essential for the older traveller. I foresee a bigger problem for Roda and many other places. UK families go on holidays and make some meals in their apartments but not all the time. They don't bring their food supplies with them. They support the local super/mini markets thus putting money into the various villages. They also frequent the bars and restaurants. I witnessed car loads of food being off-loaded from eastern European cars and whatever was left at the end of their stay re-loaded, including toilet rolls. What restaurant and bar owners need to realise is that if this is the trend of the future they will not survive and their families will suffer. it might not be soon but it will happen. Eastern Europeans are welcome but not at the expense of the locals welfare.
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Post by stevie on Aug 15, 2018 21:35:41 GMT 2
Tribute acts not our scene, as for Roda glad they seem to be having a good season.We like Roda the way it as always been pleasant walk around the town with a few drinks along the way then deciding which excellent restaurant to eat.Then back to The Boat House or The Brandy shop then back for a few jars with Dimitris and Tasos at The Coral.As for the day time we normally so to Makis's Studios which will be strange this year with out Maki roll on September 20th Steve & Amanda
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Post by artisans on Aug 15, 2018 22:56:34 GMT 2
It’s amazing how we can be in the same village, Laurence, and see things so differently. It’s good though, as it gives our readers both sides of the coin from which they can decide how to view things.
It’s easy for Romanians to drive to Corfu now, using the Ignatia Highway, and they are not the only ones to bring food with them. As their country borders on to the Black Sea, it is less of a surprise for them to bring food and other products, than it is for the British … now that really amazes me!
Earlier this year, we met a UK couple who brought all their food with them for a two-week stay, probably paying for extra baggage allowance in the process. Another couple brought all their breakfasts with them for two weeks. A regular visitor, who we know, brings enough PEK for a two, or three week stay, and then eats it in his room. I’ve seen girls at Manchester Airport, sitting on the floor redistributing the contents of their suitcases to get under the limit - their bags were full of pot noodles! One Roda Hotel has been complaining for years about the people eating & drinking on their balconies at night, and not using the hotel facilities - all British! So many people from the UK bring, tea, coffee, sugar, cereals, biscuits, jam, tinned meats, snacks etc., all of which are available in the village at equivalent prices and possibly better quality. I can give you lots of examples, but the most amazing we have heard of is someone bringing frozen squid from the UK!
Then there are the ex-pats … not only do they bulk-ship food, but they buy all their clothes, cosmetics, electrical goods, soft furnishings etc., etc., in the UK. There are even couriers aggregating Tesco orders and transhipping them. It also raises the issue of where the food is sourced, as many products, loved by British residents, are manufactured in other countries like France, Germany, Italy & Holland - some people here only ever eat gammon, for example, little of which, if any, is produced in Greece. Most ex-pats make regular journeys to Lidl to buy foreign frozen foods and other branded products from outside of Greece. Take meat, for example … in line with EU law, all the meat on butchers’ counters names the country of origin, so we do have a choice whether to buy it or not. Unfortunately, most ex-pats have never learned the alphabet and they can’t read the labels. So much for supporting Greece! I think it’s so wrong to point the finger at other nationalities when we are more guilty of the things you complain about than they are.
In respect of tribute acts, Laurence, imagine you are on holiday in Odessa, standing outside the equivalent of a Ukrainian working men’s club displaying the Hammer & Sickle around the room, and listening to a Muslim Magomaev tribute act - would you go in?
As for spending money, nothing could be further from the truth, and to say otherwise is grossly misleading. Our new visitors spend freely, but not necessarily on the same things that Brits buy. Ask Lisa, who used to work at Alexandros, visit Yummies or Skouna and ask the owners who their clients are, take a look at Pixida, Roda Park, Niko’s, La Luz, Pirates’ Bar, Ammos Grill room, and many others, and you will find people of all nationalities enjoying balmy evenings & leisurely meals. The only bar owners who may be suffering in all of this are those who depend solely on the British and, as I’ve been saying for some time, they need to change to survive. If they don’t cater properly for international customers, then they are competing just for the British slice of the cake. They will cut each other's throats and erode their margins and perhaps Mistral was the first casualty. More may follow unless they wake up.
In addition, the travel shops cater for all nationalities with the Germans buying the more costly and adventurous trips, the Dutch, Italians and French buy the historical tours and boat trips, and the British go to Paleokastritsa where the profit margin is €1! … that’s what one owner told me some years ago. As for car hire & scooter hire, you should see the enquiries I get every day through the website, most of which are from countries other than the UK. People are spending money.
I think the free water is a good thing, as it encourages people to avoid dehydration, especially in the sort of weather we’ve had recently. It’s very common across Europe these days and it provides an element of ‘value added.’
Contrary to what you say, the season is actually getting longer, with flights to the island now from March to November. Fraport is trying to encourage airlines to fly from international destinations in the winter too, from this year onwards. Not long ago, people found it difficult to visit Corfu at Easter, but now it’s becoming increasingly popular. One major issue is that some businesses are late to open and early to close, and they are usually the ones who complain the most.
Your own favourite bar should be applauded for having created several income streams, including drinks, food, sun-beds, and a shop selling several homemade products with higher margins. They have a great location, an all-day business, presumably they own the premises, they can now use family to run the business and they have apartments in Sidari. The last two nights, they have been more or less full at 11pm. I would have thought that would be enough to see them through the winter …
There are so many apartments being brought back into use this year that even summer staff cannot find rooms. Tourism in Corfu is rising month by month and much of it is due to these new markets and new visitors … what an opportunity! These people have money to spend and they have needs, many of them very different from what the Brits want. Those who adapt first will reap the biggest rewards and drinking beer in British bars is not the answer.
Your suggestion of a ‘minimum spend’ leaves me speechless … I invite you to return and I’ll walk around the village with you to show you how Roda’s new clientele is outspending the British - maybe not on beer, but on everything else. Acknowledging, respecting and servicing customer diversity is the key to Roda’s future.
Roda cannot survive on beer alone!
Steve
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Post by sasdally on Aug 16, 2018 8:26:09 GMT 2
2 weeks of food in flight luggage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think thats stretching the truth to breaking point ,or youve been in the sun for too long.
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Post by artisans on Aug 16, 2018 17:22:03 GMT 2
I agree, sasdally, it does sound ridiculous, but that's what they told us and we've no reason to disbelieve them. We do know several people who squeeze all their clothes into one case and fill the other with food ... or pay for an extra suitcase. I believe that Jet2 do allow you an extra suitcase, so maybe that's what they do. The bottom line is that hundreds of Brits bring their own food with them one way or another when there is really no need. We should include them in any complaints about people not spending in the village.
Steve
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Post by laurence on Aug 17, 2018 12:53:01 GMT 2
It's not a question of being able to afford to go abroad. It's a question of being able to. The reason I asked if you had a crystal ball or not Wendy is the UK and EU have NOT reached any sort of agreement on Visas, Passport control, EHIC cards, access to jobs or those Brits living or working within the EU and many other important issues. Until all this is sorted out the situation regarding those taking holidays is bottom of the list. Health cover is top of the list as far as the traveller is concerned. Insurance cover might soar. EU countries might refuse health cover in their hospitals. Nobody knows and it's getting too close to Brexit and nothing has been sorted. Thanks to all those who voted for Brexit and didn't think about any of the consequences. And before you state the obvious - I ain't got a crystal ball either.
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Post by artisans on Aug 17, 2018 20:37:23 GMT 2
I'm not sure health cover is top of the list, Laurence, as 40% of young British people travelling abroad don't bother. Across all age groups, 24% of people have no travel insurance. A visit to Corfu's Hospital will confirm how few visitors actually have an EHIC card, or even know what it is.
Steve
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Post by artisans on Aug 18, 2018 9:06:31 GMT 2
These are recommendations for saving money made on another forum over the last couple of days:
"Take your own tea and coffee, make up your own lunch (we have ‘nibbles’ from the supermarket on the balcony in the afternoon)"
"Buy some beers or a bottle of wine from the supermarket to have on your balcony"
"Eat your breakfast in, few pastries and fruit for lunch"
"Have a few drinks on your balcony/patio"
"Have breakfast in apartment bread or toast etc ,snack like a gyros"
"Take coffee teabags etc. Me I even take anchor butter and cornflakes among other oh, and crumpets"
These are British people giving advice to others about how to come to Corfu and not spend money. In many cases, it’s because they don’t have much to spend, in others, it’s because they won’t try anything they’re not familiar with. Either way, we need to accept that every nationality does this and particularly the British.
Steve
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Post by laurence on Aug 18, 2018 9:07:49 GMT 2
Sorry Steve I see it has returned.
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Post by artisans on Aug 18, 2018 11:13:08 GMT 2
I don't understand, Laurence.
Steve
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Post by guest on Aug 22, 2018 15:47:45 GMT 2
laurences favourite bar HARBOUR has always been family run from its inception.
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Post by laurence on Aug 22, 2018 16:22:17 GMT 2
Cant find the thread on the main menu Steve
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Post by laurence on Aug 22, 2018 16:32:34 GMT 2
Have read you epistle Steve. You will not be surprised that I don't agree with most of it. As regards to health the question I asked is will the EHIC card still be in operation for Brits after Brexit and the answer is nobody knows. Will those older in life visitors take the chance - personally I don't thinks so especially those with a disability. Roda is always changing but sometimes not for the better. For to draw an analogy with the Ukraine is a poor comparison also if you go to swimming pools they have a minimum spend for clientele. maybe it's you who should walk the village more not me.
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Post by artisans on Aug 22, 2018 17:03:45 GMT 2
The thread has now run into two pages, Laurence - are aware of that? Maybe that's why you can't find it. My reply was a bit of an epistle as you raised so many contentious issues. It's no good disagreeing, as these are facts, not opinions. You seem to have little or no awareness of what's really happening both in Roda, and around the island. I don't just observe customers, I invite the business owners to tell me about their clients ... unprompted. The figures I quoted for Skouna were Dimitri's own figures, Pirates' Bar can be mostly Brits inside, and other nationalities outside, Nikos at Yummies today reckons at least 50% of his clients are from eastern Europe or France & Germany, another cafe bar we go to has a high percentage of Poles, Hungarians & Slovaks. I am not inventing these people, they are customers spending money. Those businesses not attracting this important group of visitors should be asking the reason why, not accusing them of 'not spending.'
I appreciate that your favourite bar is family run - what I meant was that they now have children coming into the equation which may obviate the need to employ outsiders.
I'm not prepared to name names, but I can tell you in detail which ex-pats are importing huge quantities of goods and buying anything but Greek products if they can. This is not the way to support Greece.
You seem to have confused the thread by bringing in the issue of health after Brexit. It is an important issue and, as such, deserves a thread all to itself. Why don't you start one and we can all join in? It's no good asking us what will happen as the UK government seems to be in disarray on the matter. Better perhaps to ask your local MP.
Steve
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Post by janiemou on Aug 22, 2018 17:13:39 GMT 2
Have read you epistle Steve. You will not be surprised that I don't agree with most of it. As regards to health the question I asked is will the EHIC card still be in operation for Brits after Brexit and the answer is nobody knows. Will those older in life visitors take the chance - personally I don't thinks so especially those with a disability. Roda is always changing but sometimes not for the better. For to draw an analogy with the Ukraine is a poor comparison also if you go to swimming pools they have a minimum spend for clientele. maybe it's you who should walk the village more not me. There is only one pool that I know of in Roda that used to charge a minimum amount IF you didn't spend any money in the bar. The others sometimes say free, if they don't it is only manners to buy something at the bar in either case. Jan
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