How to stay in Turkey and not have the first idea about the place.

[Jacqui Harvey]

Sorry Dutchie meant 1500.  There was no drink was being sold last night so I cannot blame that for my mistake   
It is a proven fact that only 10% of the money made in A.I's goes into the local economic, people will say that is a good thing, but it does not equate to the large sums lost by the many local businesses who no longer get customers. 
It is also not totally about A.I's but they seem to be a symtom of people who fly out to stay in them not finding out about the local area they are staying in.   
I remember when I was a kid and my parents camped all over Europe, months before the holiday, they would have maps and tourists books and reference books from the library all over the table in the evenings and my Mother would made up a diary of notes on places and what to see and do.. This was long beore the internet.  We have the net now and I find it odd that people still do not use it to do any research. 
We met a couple last night who have stayed in Calis for the last 5 years running every year. We mentioned Kakakoy to them and the fact there was drink being sold there.  They asked us was Kaka worth visiting?  They heard the stones hurt you feet, so they did not bother.  We explained it was more than just the ruins.  It was a lovely villiage in a beautiful setting with some great  places to eat.  We even told them about the Istanbul with its pick up and drop off on Wednesday so they could have a taster.
However, they always go to the Talk of the Town on Wednesday !!  so that was out   

[scorcher]

 Not my idea of a holiday being dropped in the kaka! 

[Scunner]

it does not equate to the large sums lost by the many local businesses who no longer get customers. 

But again you assume these AI people are people who would have previously have come and stayed locally in self catering or B&B type hotels. I don't think they are. I think they are people who, if they didn't come to Fethiye on AI, would book another destination AI.

[Jacqui Harvey]

We booked A.I. when we first came to Fethiye, in fact we tried to get into Lykia World but it was full for our week of travel so we opted for the Letoonia.  We like a bit of comfort and try to stay at good Hotels.  This was our first A.I. and thought the resort looked lovely.  It was lovely, but for us, there was something missing.  I think it may have been different if we had young kids.   
To us A.I. is just staying in a Holiday Camp, which basically that is what it is.
So, we may like comfort and luxury, but we are not A.I. or holiday camp people.

[WordBird]

Sorry Dutchie meant 1500.  There was no drink was being sold last night so I cannot blame that for my mistake   

Oh yes there was - you just had to know the 'real Turkey' to be able to find it! 

We have friends who, is they told you all the places they'd visited around the world would sound incredibly well-travelled.
However, all they do is book a Hilton or equivalent and spend their time lazing around the pool etc - they see and learn nothing of their destinations.
Not my choice, but it's what they like to do.

We stayed at the Oludeniz Resort Hotel the first time we came to the area, although we did spend a lot of time exploring etc.
I'm not a fan of AI - but for a new place, if the price is right, I can see the attraction as it's a 'safe' base while you find your feet.

[jackstee]

Having worked in hotels for the last 40 years I can tell you now that a 1500 bed hotel would be massive. My last one, the tallest in Qatar with 57 floors had some 700 keys. Some 300 of those were apartments. One, two and three bedrooms.
We only just topped 1500 beds.
I have not seen a building like that around here.

[KKOB]

I think someone's talking Kaka, again.  

[Highlander]

The present Mrs H has enjoyed All Inclusive holidays for years now  .

[Colwyn]

A scene this lunchtime which was not like the "real" Turkey of 18 years ago {when I first came here}. I was in a bar with an Efes and listening to the blues {where else would I be?}. Seven teenage Turkish girls came walking down the little street - one covered head to foot in dark material with headscarf, three in normal Western-style street clothes, and three in bikinis. The three in bikinis came in and went to the bar. After some chit-chat they went away carrying a 50cl tankard of draught beer. {I have no idea where they took it or why}.

How many times on this forum have I read people telling me that British women walking about, not near the beach, and going into bars dressed only in bikinis was offensive and an insult to Turkish people. This is in a resort where {I estimate} 95% of the visitors this year are Turkish. That's another bit of "real Turkey".

[stoop]

We watched a programme on T.V. about the growth of  A.I's  in Spain. One local town was a Ghost Town all the restaurants empty and shops closing down, after the opening of so many A.I's in the area. The situation was so bad  that Thomson's arranged a coach to take people into the town this was after a lot of complaints by local businesses.
So wandering into town to buy a cup of coffee may be difficult, if there is no town left.
Last week we spoke to a restaurant owner in Fethiye, one we all know.  He told us that the new and latest A.I in the area had 15,000 beds which to him mean 15,000 who would not visit his restaurant.

I think that's probably got more to do with the recession. I know in Portugal, Portimao is virtually a ghost town and there isn't an AI in miles.

As for Fethiye - I think the fake bag salesmen have done a roaring trade from some of the Sensatori customers. Mind you I'm not sure much of that cash will make its way to the tax man