The russians are coming

[Sleuth]

I read in the paper today that Thomas Cook, after a disappointing 2010 season, with continental tourism , blaming volcanic ash, and dwindling numbers of overseas travellers from the UK.. are heavily investing in a Russian Tourism Company for 2011 which is concentrating solely on Turkey and Egypt. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of British dominance for holiday resorts in Turkey ?
For a while now, the increase of Russian tourists ( mainly the new rich and prosperous Moscovites )has been very noticable in the Antalya and Side region I have been informed, also in Marmaris area, and probably other areas along the coast not mentioned here. Also they are  beginning to spread  into the Mugla region . Of course they have a right to holiday wherever they want.
But unfortunately the majority of them are extremely rude , very arrogant, and ill mannered and loathe to spend money on holiday ,
( unlike the brits ) and the turks do not like them thats for sure.We noticed even in Fethiye, for the first time, this year, several  ruskies... one instance I can recall, we witnessed a group of russians arguing rudely with a turkish cafe owner in the town centre, for all to hear, demanding that he dropped the price of a coke from 1 lira
( reasonable ) to 50 kurush !!!!!  and they were not joking around !!
As the Brits holidaymakers continue to decrease, are we in a few years time going to see `the rise of the Russians` ? At the moment they seem to focus on the `AI` accomodation, but with multiple numbers soon to be arriving, locally maybe, in the next few years, and all the harrowing stories we have heard about them from brits and turks,they could be everywhere, and  their bad behaviour is something that I personally would not want to be around.
Menu`s in restaurants in russian and english coming ? ( I remember well german and english menu`s )
Russians finally outnumbering us ?  The germans used to have a bad reputation, and the late night  yobbo english p***heads that frequent the `bar streets`in the early hours are an unpleasant experience to witness, but apparantly compared to Russian tourists with their vodka ... we aint seen nothing yet  !!!  

[Ian]

Sleuth - you might be right - a good friend of mine went to a really good standard hotel in Side this year. He was surprised to see the place over run with Russians but amazed to see 2 of them actually taking the sunbeds back to their apartments in the evening to ensure they had them for the following day!

[Scunner]

I remember we saw what we thought were uncharacteristically well behaved Germans on holiday in Antalya many years back. Of course that was unlikely, and all these nice Germans turned out to be nice Russians. It seems in the early years of Russians being allowed out of Russia they were quiet, polite folk. I agree though, it didn't last long

[scorcher]

Ah - Glasnost, a bit like nostalgia,it aint like it used to be...

[peecee]

One lady I know rented her villa out to a Russian family, 2 small boys included.  Revolting little things they were.  They emptied the pool (don't know how) and had the habit of throwing stones at people.  Also wrecked the villa (but did pay for all the damage without a murmer)  I, for one, would not be too keen on them migrating to Mugla.

[Sleuth]

Last July a coach load of russians visited Kaya and had a pre paid budget lunch at the Istanbul Restaurant organised for later. They arrived...took up all of the tables, and then they had the audacity to sit there and drink  their own drinks they brought with them[!] alcholic drinks, right down to small bottles of water.Didnt and wouldnt buy even one drink between about 60/70 people [!]I didnt hear about the outcome, but they probably ended up trashing the place. They dont give a f**k for the turkish people, and seem to think they are second class citizens.

[Scunner]

The British eased the Germans out of Calis and these things go in cycles. Sleuth is right that the Russians seem to think everyone is below them, and they often tend to spend a lot less on holiday than Brits do - and not just drinks. I do wonder, if the Russians are indeed coming, whether the Turkish will regret the slow disappearance of the Brits. Bit late now already.

[Sleuth]

and to further rub it in... :-(  they host the 2018 world cup :-(

[janincalis]

To rub it in even futher Turkish goverment are thinking of scrapping the visa for Russians :

[tinkerman]

we will fight them on the dirty beaches!