To think that all holidays are essentially false curated experiences and that antipathy to people who go to Benidorm etc is just snobbery?

[Fuma]

The UK middle classes have long shown disdain for British people who go to mass tourism resorts like Benidorm and Magaluf, waxing lyrical about their own more "authentic" travel experience. But these travel experiences are still relatively brief, selective and involve at best fleeting glimpses of meaningful cultural exchange.

Indeed in many cases the experience that the middle class Northern hemisphere traveller has comes at great expense to the comfort, security and well being of the citizens whose country they visit - beaches protected by armed guards, luxury hotel staff living hundreds of miles away from their families with no running water and so on. Unlike the tourist in Spain who will generally be catered to by people on EU mandated wage scales and living with much the same amenities and protections as the people who visit their country.

So given that we all go on holiday to have a break from real life and experience existence in a temporary state of stasis, is it really so much worse for someone to choose to spend this time in a mock English pub if that's what they want to do?

Uh huh

I agree op. Judging people for wanting a different type of holiday to you is snobbery and a pathetic waste of energy too.

You wrote that in such an incredibly pretentious way.

I can't agree either.

When I travel with my husband, yes we seek out nice hotels. But to say there is little in way of a truly cultural experience is batshit.

We went to Istanbul and we spent our time immersed in the experiences to have. We ate their food, we sat on our balcony listening to their call to prayer. We spoke with the locals when we had coffee and learned about them.

The above is an example.

And yes i do see it pointless to spend. £££ on visiting another country and lamenting the lack of English food and finding an English pub. I don't understand why you would. Nor do my children. Their favourite thing to do when we're planning a holiday is to Google Earth it, to look up the county and the food, to plan what they want to try...

But then we host au pairs so we love to learn and immerse ourselves in other cultures.

YABU. I don’t see anything wrong with looking down on people who have no interest in broadening their horizons/enjoy hell holes. If people don’t Male an effort to understand each other or the highest forms of human creation what’s the point of them? If you have no interest in the world you live in andyou have no interest in feats of artistic/intellectual greatness what is the point of you?

I’d rather stay home then go places like Benidorm and mix with the foul brits there. Let’s face it everywhere the Brits go they turn it into a horrible place. No one wants to see a Barry topless drinking cans around the place.

Give me a cultural holiday to Africa or Asia instead, not go to mini England and have eggs and chips for dinner.

I’m sorry but what you just said was so boring, I kept zoning out when I tried to read it.

BogglesGoggles
It's not ok to look down on anyone-and I am very well travelled.

I agree op. Tbh i dont go on holiday for culture. I go for the weather and a break from the every day. Im not going to pretend i go for an enriching experience to make myself look better.

I think people should choose to holiday wherever and however they like.

@AmyFl it was sarcasm - the rather ott what is the point of x comment would have made it pretty clear 🙄

Each to his own. If some people want to go to Istanbul and experience other cultures and other people want to go to Benidorm and enjoy egg and chips in the sunshine, they can both have what they want, why on earth does anyone have to be judgy about anyone?

The OP is also clearly sarcastic for anyone who missed it.

How long were you in Istanbul, Kelsoooo? How much Turkish do you speak? How much cultural understanding do you think that you get from sitting on a balcony and drinking coffee for two weeks?

I'm not really having a go (well perhaps I am) but my point is that you cannot possibly understand another culture by going on holiday there. You see little bits, you appreciate them and tuck them into your own self centric view of the world. This is fine, btw, and very enjoyable, but you're still using the place you're in as a temporary halt, a bubble.

I think it is fine to just want to go somewhere with better weather, and then chill out and relax and drink if you want to, and eat English-style food.

What isn't acceptable anywhere is to be loud and obnoxious and break laws.

Some real snobby posters on this thread. I like Benidorm but I also like Budapest and Prague. I've had equally good times in Magaluf and Marthas Vineyard. I hate holiday snobs.

People should just do what they think is fun, it's a holiday. Who cares if one person's idea of a good time is getting pissed and partying away, and others is a nice cultural experience. Everyone is different, and people who look down on others for anything involving how they have fun are just plain old killjoys!

I'm not being sarcastic!

It's a holiday. Holidays are supposed to be about doing something you enjoy.

I like solo backpacking travel to far flung places off the beaten track because that's what makes me happy.
Other people go to Butlins or a fully inclusive place in Spain, because that's what makes them happy. I'm happy for them, even though it wouldn't be my thing at all. They think I'm insane, but I think they're happy for me too.

People go on holiday for different reasons, I have a friend who travels widely to run marathons, not my idea of a holiday but she enjoys it. I have been many places to see wildlife but sometimes to just be in a nice hotel and go our for meals drinks - Nice for example. Everyone has different ideas, my idea of hell is being surrounded by screaming kids of whichever nationality, my brother goes to Benidorm because he and his partner like it, but apparently there is a more up market end. Does it matter, unless the person is heading to Thailand etc for sex tourism?

Everyone is different, and people who look down on others for anything involving how they have fun are just plain old killjoys!

Yep!

Don't get me wrong I'm more an Istanbul girl than a Benidorm one but I love how some many mc people travel & hate tourists!

It's not snobbery if you just don't want to do the activities available. Or aren't good with that type of climate. Not bothered about there being a swimming pool, I can't spend a lot of time lying in the sun, I burn and go stir crazy. Not bothered about clubbing, laid on entertainments or drinking very much alcohol or eating big quantities which can make the all inclusive attractive.

We like uk holidays because we spend a lot of time hiking, birdwatching, visiting historical sites and running. Suited to uk holidays not so much to somewhere where is is very hot and we'd probably flake out from heatstroke.

What a load of nonsense OP.

Sometimes I go on holiday to do sightseeing, or do something really fun or to do nothing but relax in the warmth as I need to recharge.

I work bloody hard to I ain't wasting my hard earned dish going somewhere where there are a load of loud mouth drunks, dive bombing next to me in the pool.

I'm not going to go to certain places as I, nor do I want my DD, seeing groups of lads f'ing and jeffing, spewing in the street etc.

That said I'm not going to take my DD anywhere where it's dangerous to leave the complex. Bollocks to that waste of money too.

I wouldn't go to certain pubs in the UK for the same reason. So, quite frankly, some resorts or areas of resorts are no go areas for me.

Happy to be called snobby if I don't go to Magaluf or the like.

OP, you're showing much more disdain for people, than anyone I've known has shown for people who holiday in a different way from them.

In fact you're positively sneery.

I suspect if Blackpool was guaranteed to be hot and sunny an awful lot of people would go there year after year. It wouldn't be my cup of tea but obviously it's no less of a valid option than anyone else's holiday choice whether that's two weeks premium all inclusive at sandals in the Caribbean or staying in hostels, using the local buses and eating on the street in Vietnam. Some want immersion in local culture others don't. To suggest nobody does immerse themselves in local culture is obviously a bit silly, some clearly do.

The tone of your post is really divisive suggesting that a whole class of people are snobby. I was in an airport yesterday and heard some people loudly deriding BA club class passengers who were being loaded first. One even saying loudly, I hope you all enjoy having to be sat down for longer with your sleazy boarding (I think a play on Easyjet's priority boarding). The couple in question had obviously just decided that the people in club class were middle class snobs. Of course they may just choose to spend differently and go without other things to fly in Club, but that made no difference to their preconceptions and the fact the were rude enough to voice them.

Ultimately the kind of reverse snobbery you are peddling is just as unhelpful as any other kind. Maybe just accept not everyone wants the same thing?

I agree OP and I go on holidays to see other countries. But if you actually live abroad for a while, you realise that a 2 week holiday gives you an incredible simplistic insight into differences. Its like reading a ladybird book rather than a novel. So I don't kid myself that I learn a lot, but I do enjoy the new experiences.

I’m sorry but what you just said was so boring, I kept zoning out when I tried to read it.

It is tediously worthy, isn’t it