German invasion

[ray]

Has anyone noticed the large increase in German tourists in PP and the old town this year. I'm going to put some barbed wire round my sunbed

 

[El Gordo]

Hi Ray

You are certainly having a good "go" at the forum today!!

I think the "invasion" by "Europeans" and the "Irish" is due to their adopting the Euro and not being affected by the exchange rate that we are suffering at the moment.

I was talking to an Irish friend here in March who told me that he thought Euro prices were not bad! compared to Ireland. Mind you 6 euros a pint in Dublin - I can see where he's coming from!!

I think the invasion is advancing along the Alcudia bay from their camps at Cala Rajada. (I noticed the menus in German not English there)

Cant blame them from taking advantage of our wonderful PP when we are not at home!!!

 

[eleanor]

If they are coming back I would be delighted. My experience of German people is that they are the nicest most polite people. The ones I have met have certain standards and look after their property. We have had German aupairs when the kids were young and stayed in contact with many families.
Perhaps it will also help get the property market moving again. That can't be bad. When we first came to Pollensa many moons ago there was a mixture of nationalities.

They can have my sunbed anyday - bit covered in mould though, i'm afraid lol

 

[med777]

I spent a lot of my youth in Germany and have great friends and memories. But was recently very suprised on a 'run down the coast' when we stopped in at Arenal, which many years ago was a very British destination. It is now completely German and appears to be the Germans in Mallorca equivalent of the Brits in Magaluf ! Normally I would have said the Germans were on the whole a very well dressed and well mannered bunch(cept when it comes to sun loungers ! ) ... but got my eyes opened that day !

Still that's the south of the Island... where all the riff raff go !
Uz guys in the North r much mooooooooore refined ! (whatever the nationality ! )

Miriam

 

[its cd]

Dont think you can judge your "average" holiday maker by Arenal

Arenal was the first place I visited in Majorca 30 years ago and it was probably 70/30 Brit and German and it was the pits even then ........... and that was before the "brits abroad" behaviours really took off

I was still young and liked to party but was not impressed by Arenal which I thought was dirty and tacky

In general terms I noticed a nice diverse range of nationalities in and around PP over easter but put that down to it still being "off season" ............... when I first started coming to PP there was a more diverse range of nationalities visiting and i think it was nicer for it so would welcome a wider range of visitors

 

[eleanor]

Get good and bad with all nationalities. Strange also that to some the word Mallorca alone means Magaluf and drunk English youngsters. Horrid to think that is what Mallorca means to some when it is just a very very small %. Thankfully it is kept to certain areas of the island.

 

[pollensa]

Not long ago I read that Germans were put off coming to PP because it was a 'British enclave'. I'm sure a holiday resort dominated by any nationality is bound to put off every body else!

I also read in recent ST property pages that the Germans are starting to buy in Mallorca again as their economy has started to pick up, they are not hit by euro exchange rates AND the lowwer house prices are now what they feel to be reasonable. Their stance has always been to buy good quality properties at good prices. They weren't tempted by the cheap developments on mainland Spain. So Yes they have returned to Mallorca....

PS on a sort of related topic, I also read in an article about the 'ash' that while a lot of airports & airlines wre being less than helpful to stranded passengers, in Frankfurt the airport staff were ensuring that everyone had food & beds AND were going round finding out if anyone was running out of medication & arranging for prescriptions to be dispensed at the pharmacy! Maybe it was just good PR but that little comment was very heartening to read.

 

[eleanor]

I don't think it was just PR Pollensa. I spoke to a friend and the same thing was happening at Hannover airport.

She did actually say that some nationalities were somewhat surprised by the panic of the English. Easy to say when you are receiving help and medication and the English are left by their government to fend for themselves BUT thats for a different forum lol

Thankfully many are on their way again and will have short memories and continue to book to go away.

 

[Sparky]

I read in the DB yesterday that in Palma, British ex-pats and the business community had got together and were handing out free food to stranded passengers.

 

[pollensa]

Interesting... but back on the post, I do remember PP having a more varied tourist population. There always used to be a lot more French who stayed at the Sis Pins - presumable before Globespan took over.

 

[Sparky]

When we first came to PP in 1982 the resort was very French orientated, there were only a few Brits staying in the Pollensa Park Hotel.

 

[ray]

I don't think it was just PR Pollensa. I spoke to a friend and the same thing was happening at Hannover airport.

She did actually say that some nationalities were somewhat surprised by the panic of the English. Easy to say when you are receiving help and medication and the English are left by their government to fend for themselves BUT thats for a different forum lol

Thankfully many are on their way again and will have short memories and continue to book to go away.

Eleanor Are the Scottish, Irish and Welsh being looked after then?

 

[eleanor]

Sorry Ray -
English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish!
left to fend for themselves.

 

[joelise80]

For some reason (and much to my OH amusement) I am often spoken to in German when in PP. We have stayed in other resorts in Mallorca and have found that restaurants and accomodation aimed at the German tourists has generally been of a higher standard than those establishments aiming for an only English customers. If the Germans expect higher standards and facilities then surely that can only be good for PP.

 

[mearsy]

We have stayed in other resorts in Mallorca and have found that restaurants and accomodation aimed at the German tourists has generally been of a higher standard than those establishments aiming for an only English customers. If the Germans expect higher standards and facilities then surely that can only be good for PP.

Blimey, doesn't say much for us English customers!

 

[Belladonna]

I think its because they complain when things are not right - unlike us Brits who moan at the table, then when someone comes round and asks, we all smile politely and say "lovely, thank you very much"!

 

[BonysLad]

Gott in Himmel, little Englanders !!!!!

What planet are you guys living on ?? This is Spain, part of the EU who's borders are open to everyone in the EU !!!!

If you want to live in the Daily Mail world , try Frinton on Sea !!!!

BonysLad

 

[eleanor]

Yes Bella - I think perhaps it is the worry of 'making a scene' . Perhaps the unacceptable should not be acceptable whatever the nationality.

I must say that I do complain if I feel I should, although somewhat reluctantly. I hate that feeling of bad service or being ripped off. I find I think about it for days and end up annoyed and then moaning at poor husband who 'doesn't like a fuss' !

 

[Belladonna]

BL, I totally agree, as long as its all fair in love and war as they say. I get just a little upset when I am trying to find local papers and they have them German and not English - yes, I know I should read them in Spanish so dont have a go at me for that! The balance in the last couple of years does seem to have equaled out in PP which is good, hopefully it stays that way.
Eleanor, I still feel enough of a tourist to feel awkward about complaining about how the locals have cooked their food, but I will do if its a tourist rip off!

 

[Tonsyl]

I have been following this thread and must say I agree with Bonyslad in that we are talking about a Mallorcan town on a Spanish island. I do feel there is often a tendency on this forum to treat the port especially as a breakaway part of the UK, which it isn't and long may it stay so.