Not surprised some holiday islands don’t want Brits?

[lightsandtunnels]

Just spent 2 weeks in Tenerife.
Observed some pretty bad behaviour on number of occasions - all drunken - and all Brits.
It’s a resort known for couples and families and visitors from all over Europe: Iceland, Dutch, Czech, German etc so definitely not overwhelming British tourists. And not a resort that is known to ‘cater’ for stag & hens.
Three examples (there are several more including many drunken football related scenes.)

Two couples (with children) totally smashed one night at hotel when entertainment was on. Loud, shouting, obnoxious, stupid behaviour - the entertainers were clearly annoyed.

Two guys (early 20’s) in restaurant early evening (lots of Spanish families there) totally wasted. Kept saying to each other in loud voices ‘I’m so f*ed’ and shouting, stupid giggling and lots of loud swearing and horrible language about licking your mother. Chucked drink over each other.

Group of drunken hens climbing on promotion animals outside shops, early evening. Lots of swearing, shouting. Observed by many people. Shop staff standing observing.

I know we were all young once etc etc.
AIBU to not be surprised at the latest news of holiday islands wanting other holiday makers and not Brits? Or is this acceptable holiday behaviour? Were we just unlucky to see it all?

Yes I used to live in a city in Europe where groups of young Brits would arrive on Friday and stay all wknd without booking accomodation. They'd hang out in bars until they were thrown out, would use my front garden as a toilet, and then sleep in parks and bus stations. As a result most night clubs and bars did not let British people in. They were loud and obnoxious, they'd walk into a restaurant demanding what they wanted in english, and then laugh at the staff if they didn't immediately reply because they didn't speak English. Truly awful and embarrassing. English people do not have a good reputation across European holiday destinations. And most establishments in the place I lived in did very well for themselves without the English people they banned. They definitely did not rely on English tourists!

I’ve never experienced this myself but we always pick quiet resorts or family/couple friendly ones

I was a Rep for 9 years, however, I never worked for Twenties or 18-30, those were the only companies who did that.

From what I've read, my understanding is that Lanzarote and some other Spanish islands are worried about the impact of too much tourism. They also want to reduce their dependence on the British market which in some cases supplies over 50% of visitors, and to diversify to other nationalities, which sounds like a sound business move.

I don't think this has anything to do with British tourists' alleged behaviour, as the OP suggests. I agree with you that Brits are no worse than other nationalities, and they're also known for being big spenders, which is always welcome in the tourist business.

God yes. I won't be going back any time soon.

I didn't suggest anything, that was your own assumption

I think someone has said it before but it is the same arseholes that get pissed up and are aggressive and loud on a Friday/Saturday night at home that are like this abroad. We have a group of people who have no idea how to behave properly and have issues with alcohol. I'm not going to say anymore about them or people will accuse me of stereotyping, but boy do so many of them have similar views and behaviour!

I was out this weekend at a murder mystery dinner thing (for a friend's birthday) and there were a couple of guys like this with their wives. Clearly had too many pints of Stella and were shouting and heckling the actors and being really aggressive to staff and other people until they were asked to leave. Really put a damper on the night to be honest. I am frankly ashamed that I am associated with these people when I go abroad.

It's part of the reason we've never been to Ibiza or Tenerife and only to quieter places in Spain and Greece which aren't that popular with many Brits. It always makes me smile if we get addressed in a European language rather than English as it means the disguise is effective. (And yes, we can often answer back like for like.) We're lucky that when we travel we can do it out of the main season too.

Can’t say I blame some of these resorts for not wanting to host large groups of Brits. I saw some horrible incidents a few years ago from some Brits towards a group of quiet Germans with young children. It was an entertainment evening and the Brits were determined to provoke the Germans with Nazi salutes, heckling etc. It was vile. A lot of free alcohol was available which stoked the fire. Lots of fights and damage to sunloungers in some of the hotels.

Some of the locals explained that this was a regular problem due to having a resort mix of Germans and Brits. The Germans, generally weren’t the problem. Some venues had barred British customers because of fighting.

Tenerife is hands down the worst place I’ve ever been. Horrible drunk British tourists and awful rude locals (even if you were a decent tourist). Still shuddering at the thought many years later.

I’ve spent the last three February half terms in Tenerife (both Adeji and las Americas) and each time has been lovely. I didn’t notice any poor behaviour from Brits or otherwise.

I definitely think we are more likely to notice people behaving badly in our own language/accent. Like many others, I’ve seen rude Russians in Egypt, rude (and VERY loud) Americans in Italy, drunk and vomiting Australian 20-somethings in Bali … the list goes on.

Some people are twats. Some twats are British. C’est la vie!

(Adeje not Adeji 🙈)

Mass tourism is a vile, vile beast.

When me and DH and the kids went on several coach holidays in the noughties/early 2010's, we stayed at various hotels that had between 80 and 200 rooms - that the coach company picked. We went to Spain, Germany, Austria, and Italy with the kids. Me and DH went ALONE to Luxembourg, and Switzerland (all with the coach companies/on the ferry.) By a country MILE, the worst behaved in the hotels were...

In Spain, a group of around thirty 20-30 y.o. from Denmark.
In Italy, a group of 30-something French men on a massive stag do.
In Austria, a group of 20-odd Germans, aged 35 to 55 on a works holiday.
In Luxembourg, a group of Dutch women on a hen do (around 15 -20 of them all in their 20s.)

In Germany and Italy, there was a mix of nationalities who were behaving badly.

So it's utterly inaccurate, as well as bigoted and xenophobic, to always claim that only the BRITS are badly behaved abroad.

I was told in Thailand the most hated are the Israelis. In Cuba I was told it was the Russians. Bali the Australians. I have no doubt in parts of Spain and the islands it's the Brits.

Not everyone has decorum. And there's a few countries that can't hold their booze or STFU.

@Pigletnotatwiglet · Yesterday 10:07

You can always always tell who the Brits are on holidays. Other nations have decorum.

Tell me you've never left the UK, without telling me you've never left the UK.😂

I has an entitled male Brit harass me verbally as I sat waiting to board my flight at Heathrow.
called all the people in my country handicapped and when I walked away he called my a Karen.
Totally unprovoked.

some brits are total buffoons. Not all of course.

Exactly this.

I have been to Tenerife twice, both times in the north. First time was in 1987 for our honeymoon when we stayed in Puerto de la Cruz and second time in 2017 for our 30th anniversary when we stayed in La Orotava.

We never saw any behaviour like the OP described. We visited some beautiful places and had lovely walks and great meals out. If anything we thought that area more upmarket in 2017 than it was in the 1980s.

However, we have never spent much time in the south of the island in the Playa des Americas area so I guess it is an island of two halves.

Avoiding entire islands due to a couple of ‘party towns’ on them is odd! There’s def a “we’re better than that” element going on.

Tenerife, Ibiza, Majorca, Corfu … all have beautiful areas to explore, well away from the strips.

The bad behaviour starts at the airport. We usually get 6 am KLM flights from Newcastle so get there at 4 am and you can spot a mile off who will be getting onto which flight ( there aren't many to choose from)
Pints being sunk in the bar in the morning, clubbing wear being worn , loud shouting . Most is down to excessive alcohol consumption which is a huge problem for a lot of Brits.

The behaviour on the party flights is markedly different too ,
When we got a JET 2 flight last year to Ibiza, people drank endlessly, many trips to the loo, and rowdy in general and cheering when we landed !

We usually go to Italy /South of France or similar ,and we have never seen rowdy behaviour from Brits . It sounds snobby but its true, even the way that the young folk dress in Europe is much nicer, you wont see them in see through net trousers with a g string and tiny bra staggering round after 10 cocktails.

Your comments aren’t very clear then. Your original ‘meh’ post and subsequent reply about moving away if you don’t like it are why I formed the impression I did. Not sure how else to interpret then?

Expect if you reply at all, it will be with another gnomic one-liner.

Is it not rather racist/xenophobic and illegal to ban one nationality from a country?

@HeavenIsAHalfpipe In Spain, a group of around thirty 20-30 y.o. from Denmark.

I've spent a lot of time in Denmark and they get in some of the worst drunken states I've seen! I agree, the "it's only the british" is just garbage.

Spain as a whole has not. There are some limits in specific areas of Magaluf (Mallorca), Playa de Palma – S’Arenal (Mallorca) and San Antonio (Ibiza). So in parts of three resorts in two islands.

Bad behaviour is not exclusive to Brits. We do not go on holiday to those sorts of party resorts but the behaviour of teens from Germany, Netherlands, Ireland is just the same. The very very worst behaviour I have ever seen was by a group of 20 something Americans in a hotel in Mexico - although management put a stop to it fairly swiftly.

Yes some young people are disrespectful but what well heeled visitor is going to find Lanzarote attractive? The hotel offerings are dire, the culture extremely limited.

I can’t help but feel the Spanish tourist board are utterly deluded if they think Beniform is going to beat Tuscany, the South of France etc for hot choices of MC guests this summer or any summer. To be so rude about the very people that prop up their economies in certain areas is crass and vulgar, and self defeating. Guests rightly will use their well earned holiday savings on the Greek islands and Turkey etc where they will be welcomed.