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?

I don't give a shit what anyone thinks

Been to the same resort in Greece for over twenty years, it's like our second home. And I would say we're ingrained and have had lots of "authentic" experiences. Very involved in each other's lives etc.

We've been in other holidays also. City breaks and other beach holidays so pretty rounded.

I wouldn't judge anyone on how far they go, for how long and where.

1. There is no such thing as an EU mandated wage scale, because wages vary enormously through the different EU countries.

2. People can go on holiday where they like. Personally I don't like lying on a beach for hours, gradually turning into a giant lobster.

My idea of a nice holiday, is driving somewhere in Europe, aiming for an interesting destination - Vienna, Salzburg, Barcelona, Cannes, Sorrento - stopping off a couple of times on the way there and the way back, taking loads of photos and experiencing things which are not available in the UK - different food, wine, culture, sights etc.

I know some people who have never been abroad, but enjoy holidays in their own country. They enjoy hearing about other people's travels on TV or in person

I've been to Blackpool & Benidorm, it's sometimes about the reason why you go & the friends that you go with

I heard someone say that they wouldn't go to Thailand "because they eat bugs"

I heard someone say that they wouldn't go to Vietnam "because they eat dogs"

Both places have a huge variety of wonderful food, including vegetarian

I like to hear about other people's travels
I love traveling
People go on holiday for different reasons

Seriously. I see people every day get out of their car, hold up their phone, take a picture, and then get straight back into their car and drive off.

That is because holidays are time limited! We've done it - we went on a boat trip, looking for dolphins in Cardigan Bay this year; had to drive through the mountains to get back to our cottage and saw a stunning view of a small lake. It was getting on for dinner time, we were all tired after a day out and four hours of driving to get there and back - stopped the car and took a photo. We didn't have the rest of the day to wander round the lake, as we didn't want to be driving through mountains, we didn't know in the dark! What is wrong with that?

The authentic experience of the day for us was the boat trip - saw lots of barrel jelly fish, we had never seen before and fantastic views of the coastline. Unfortunately no dolphins, but that is the way it is with wild animals - sometimes, they are just not there!

Some people I know they had one relatively inexpensive UK holiday per year

So people talking about holidays abroad was always exotic to them !

Now some people expect a holiday abroad every year

The internet has made the world smaller

If people want go to benidorm , bake in the sun, eat full English breakfasts, get pissed bring home cheap fags let them.

As long as they don't come home and complain about how 'foreigners' are 'flooding in' and are 'ruining' England with their weird foods, cultural differences... totally agree.

@thesandman why would they more so than someone who enjoys a cultural holiday?

YANBU to think you can't absorb that much culture in a 1 or 2 week holiday.

YABU to think that this means it doesn't make any difference whether you go to a resort in Benidorm full of Brits and fake British pubs or a nice place where actual locals live. A bit of culture is a lot better than no culture at all. Not because it's worthy and virtue-signalling and enables you to look down on others. But because it's actually enjoyable.

You can taste quite a lot of local specialities, visit quite a few interesting places and speak to quite a few locals in 2 weeks if you want to. But yes - if you prefer 2 weeks on a lounger eating chips, go for it!

thesandman why would they more so than someone who enjoys a cultural holiday?

Because people who don't appreciate other cultures often don't want them encroaching on theirs.

@Itsfineactually @TheSandman I agree! I live in the Lakes and sometimes they don’t even get out of the car! Just suddenly drive really slowly, take a pic, then speed up again

Yep. Dropping back from the car in front, well before a 'nice bit' of scenery you know is coming up round the next bend, is second nature.

Scarily it's sometimes the driver taking the pics. I have seen that several times.

@thesandman why would they more so than someone who enjoys a cultural holiday?

I didn't say they did.

I agree! I live in the Lakes and sometimes they don’t even get out of the car! Just suddenly drive really slowly, take a pic, then speed up again

I grew up in the Lakes, and at age 30, I still do this (not, I add, as the driver). I must have hundreds of shots from the gate a mile away from my parents house.

Funnily enough, my husband and I love a mix of holiday experiences. The last two holidays have been mixed city/country breaks (as in we fly out to one country, public transport to a second, then fly back from there).

Some curated trips. Some nice and 'authentic' (wanky word) experiences. Some scary as shit (more than one time we've ended up witnessing gun crime - unless they put that on for the tourists).

Next break, we want to sit dead to the world on a beach. Could be Benidorm, don't care. Just want to be warm, fed and with a few good books. Being cultural is so tiring.

My friend would love to take her teenage children on holiday; for the first aeroplane journey, first abroad, all the firsts

Cost of passports, insurance, holiday

For some people it's not exotic, but if you have never been, of course it is !