Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Other Local Resorts & Areas => Hisaronu Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Sleuth on May 21, 2012, 16:25:24 PM
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I know alchohol prices have risen in Turkey recently, but many bars now here in H are charging 7 and some even 8 lira for a glass of very cheap wine, also noticable is the fact that 99% of the bars here are now selling the wine in the VERY small wine glasses ( I call them thimbles ) this is a rip off !! when will the turks learn.. :o lots of brits here already complaining in what is predicted to be a disastrous season for many here in H. Myyoungest son and his girlfriend have just booked a 7 day all inclusive 4 star hotel in Lanzarote in June for just over £300 each !!! and I cant blame them !!! :D
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Buying wine by the glass in Hisaronu has always been an expensive and often unpalitable experience. Red wine is my favourite tipple but I've given up buying it by the thimbleful in Turkey! We noticed no increase in the price of Efes - 4-6TL or in spirits+mixer 7TL
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I spoke with a couple of bar owners up there and one was selling small effes for 4 TL and another couldnt wait to show me the new smaller glasses they are getting to serve shorts in. Less drink, same price - more profit!!.
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Care to share the names of these bars to avoid screamland?
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Soft drinks are the biggest rip off of all.6tl for a large coke and that is everywhere.
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The first three weeks of this season here in Hisaronu has already been confirmed by all areas of local businesses as their worst ever. ( lack of visitors ) and at this rate, by the end of October its going to be a disaster for many. Still they are like horses with blinkers on and cant see around them . The cons and the rip offs that are happening with drinks and prices in general etc... will only hasten their demise.. Hisaronu is up against it now and they need to realise that. It has an excellent location but it hasn`t got a beach which is a massive handicap when people are booking holidays now and being more selective. They all have to get their act together and work harder at pleasing less tourists than ever instead of hiking up prices etc..even then it might be too late :-( as I said back in March, there will soon be two `ghost towns` in the area :-(
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Hisaronu has always been ahead of itself. It grew too fast. One year I arrived, many moons ago and was convinced that I had got the wrong Dolmus. I simply did not recognise the place. Gone were all the fields, gone was the ground floor Boozie Bar and other once popular places with open fires for the cooler evenings.
Instead a full scale building operation had taken place and there were rows of shops which have continued to extend ever since with many once popular bars and restaurants relegated to the top floor.
There are too many pensions, hotels, bars, restaurants for the amount of people that vacation there and it has been this way for nigh on 15 years or more.
I have never ever, not even once heard any business owner there or indeed in Oludeniz, Çalis or Fethiye say it is or has been a good season.
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Hisaronu has less shops this year and more tour operators and beauty shops.
The Nicholas centre is closed on one side. The other side has three bag shops.
Leather shop has gone, as has the chemist.
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Walking around Hisaronu at the moment day or nightime one can see for oneself without hearing the comments from business owners that its the quietest ever for mid to late May... many of the `wing` roads off Bar st are deserted.. we could all see this happening I am afraid.
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I have to say that I agree with the sentiments expressed here wholeheartedly, but I don't think that this is confined to Hisaronu.
I really fear that our region of Turkey is on course to destroy tourism, certainly tourism from the UK. Following the collapse of Aegean Flights / Holidays 4U last year the Land of Lights ran an article about the 'Sky High' prices being charged by the other flight companies who in my opinion were simply profiteering from the misery of families either stranded here or awaiting a hard earned holiday. The fact is that those 'Sky High' prices have remained in place and of course since then, the crisis in Europe has erupted but Greece, Spain and Portugal have moved quickly to protect their valuable trade in tourism. Below is one very simple example :
One week in Spain, all inclusive of Flights, Hotel, Meals and Drinks £194 per person.
The same week a Flight Only to Turkey with a so called 'Budget' carrier £310 per person.
Now, I am not saying that this is the fault of anyone locally here, but I have to ask the question, who is lobbying these airline companies who are a key component in ruining the local economy for many thousands of people?
I think the Turkish Government is also playing a part in the tourism downturn by imposing 'Sky High' tax on many imported goods favoured by the tourists. The price of wine and spirits for example is now far more expensive in Gunlukbasi than in Central London, but again I ask the question, who is lobbying the government to make things more attractive to the tourist.
Locally many traders are trying hard to attract business, unfortunately there are far too many examples of those who think that all English people are millionaires and should pay accordingly. The non food section of the markets used to be a great day out where both the tourist and the trader reached a comfortable compromise, many English people now avoid the non food section of the market because of 'Sky High' prices being demanded by some traders, it is now common to buy first class quality shoes, belts, bags and clothes in top end fashion shops in Fethiye for far less than the prices being asked in the market. I'm afraid the old ' Cheaper than Matalan' chant from many traders should now be changed to ' Twice the price of Matalan' but again, is anybody bothered? If they are, I cannot see it.
I notice that boat trips from the harbour that were 25 lira last year are now 50 lira this year, the well known currency change ' Con Artists ' still ply their trade unchallenged by the authorities with a number of again well known shops settling Turkish Delight, Apple Tea or Spices charging people what can only be described as extortionate prices, but again I have to ask, who is trying to reign in these people who are destroying the good work being done by the majority of honest traders?
Today I notice that the Belidiye have been to all of the restaurants at the Koka Calis end of Calis beach who offer their guests free sun beds, I am told that these free beds will be replaced by beds that will be charged for by the local authority, who on earth makes such a decision as tourist numbers are Plummeting?
I seriously fear for tourism in our region, but things will not improve unless someone tackles the points raised in this thread. The short sighted way from many Turkish business has already been expressed here, tourist numbers down, charge the remainder more !
The question used by many traders to lure unsuspecting tourists into shops only to be ripped off "Excuse me, can I ask you one question, where are all of the English people" has a certain irony to it.
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Being out for the first week of May made it easy for us to compare things - we used to holiday there the first week of May before we moved. Calis is definitely much quieter than it used to be in 2003 for example - I remember we had to place our hands on the girl's shoulders just to guide them in and out of the crowds on the prom, and sometimes struggle to spot a spare table in the restaurant you had decided to use that night. Yes, in May!
The other very noticeable thing is that the season start of May 1st seems to have slipped for the businesses. We are all used to the Belediye and such deciding to start digging up the roads just before the tourists arrive but the hotels and bars were always ready for the 1st. This time many hadn't got ready on time - even the Mutlu was hastily putting together their new pool/garden bar (which was entirely closed for all but one day of our stay), and there was evidence that several other places didn't make the 'deadline'. Calis Boat excelled, first boat not till 10am and the last to Fethiye, all week, FIVE O'CLOCK!!! Some of the busiest boats I remember were the 6pm-7pm ones taking people over to eat out in Fethiye, and they were always busy enough coming back too - but someone decided 5pm was the last service for the first week of May.
Flight prices do have something to do with it, we need an Aegean or some other new kid on our block to stir things up for FTC, Easyjet etc. Until that happens I can't see much competition for business. Hisaronu/Ovacik seem to compete by offering cheap hotels - I've highlighted rooms on here at £2-£4 per night PER DOUBLE ROOM (i.e. £1 a night per person!) but it's not working - you can pay £50-£60 per room in Spain, Greece or Portugal and with flight costs added still get a much cheaper holiday.
The whole rip off feeling comes from the final nail in the coffin - the local economics which dictate that across the season, a certain figure of turnover/profit must be achieved. It's a very simple principle - if tourist numbers half, prices have to double.
It doesn't work either.
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The "we're getting fewer customers so let's charge them more" attitude certainly isn't unique to Turkey. The owners of the M6 Toll Road have just announced a £41.6m annual loss and a 10.2% reduction in traffic, so their solution is to further increase toll charges.
http://www.commercialmotor.com/latest-news/%C2%A341.6m-annual-loss-for-m6-toll-owner
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I wonder how ( or if ) EURO 2012 and the London Olympics will influence tourism.
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What more people going away :)
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I think the other factor in all this is the internet; with sites like Travelzoo sending very tempting emails each week and Tripadvisor offering a review facility you can certainly make some pretty informed choices about where you go and what you are likely to get for your money. I can't imagine some of the changes people will comment on regarding Hisaronu will have folk enthralled.