Imogen Calderwood
DESPITE being one of the world’s cheapest holiday destinations, Spain is also one of the countries visitors moan about most.
As the world’s favourite holiday hotspot for Brits, perhaps it’s unsurprising that Spain came fifth in the list of countries producing the most getaway gripes.
But the most highly-criticised tourist experience is not even a country, according to the UK’s largest travel law firm, Irwin Mitchell.
Cruise ships topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a shocking 27% of complaints lodged with the firm in 2013.
Turkey tops the list with 17% of the complaints, followed by Egypt (15%), the Dominican Republic (12%) and Spain (10%).
Most of the complaints relate to health, hygiene and food standards, according to Suki Chhokar, a partner in the International Personal Injury law team.
“Unfortunately, the same issues, such as poor food preparation and storage and unclean swimming pools, are responsible for the majority of illness cases we deal with,” she added.
Good. Let the nay-Sayers go elsewhere. More Spain for us.
How is complaining about food hygiene, for example, a “moan” exactly? In fact, it’s a genuine reason to complain. Chris, and the person who wrote this article, misunderstand the difference between moaning and genuine complaining, but of course until they are directly affected themselves they cannot distinguish. More complaints will get Spain to correct its problems; saying nothing, like Chris does, resolves nothing.
Here here Christopher!
But alas a seemingly wasted comment on this website as you’ll see by the following comments from all the naysayers who are constantly on here trying to rip Spain & the Spanish apart.
Christopher and Derek. Whilst realising your motive these are real people who have had such a bad experience they have wanted to claim on their insurance. They are not saying that the sauce was too rich on their steak or that they couldn’t find a fish and chip shop in Nerja old town.
What you can say is that I bet you there are a damn sight more people going to Spain than to Spain than most of the others on this list therefore it should be measured as percentages against numbers travelling to that country not as a percentage of cases they handle.
PS Fred isn’t always wrong. He is right that not complaining is not helpful in these cases.
Don’t you really mean ‘Hear, Hear’ Derek?
You will find that the ‘rosy specs brigade cancel out naysayers’ but then that leaves naive and unwary buyers with seeking out the ‘truth tellers’ who will tell it as it is based on real life experiences after all no-one could possibly wish more people to be misled in Spain!
if standards are not up to the mark and you have paid good money then you should complain
The Spanish are not a Charity they charge money for when you visit there country
you have to remember the sun does not shine out of the —-
of every Spanish person
Once again, Derek just doesn’t get it. Even if his house was demolished he still would not complain.
see
There there Derek, it’s hear hear NOT here here. Thought you might like to know.
If that is what you become when you have it, then I don’t want to “get it” either. Moaning / complaining (you chose as per your preference) prat!
@El Cordobez, I can’t help it if you don’t understand the difference between a moan, a gripe and a complaint. Now you are moaning. lol.
PRAT is a perfect description El Cordobez.
A country should be able to deport someone like Fred, if you can prove they are against every single thing your country stands for. And there’s plenty of evidence on this website.
Make sure you go out dancing at the fiestas all August though Fred eh
– or do you just go around with a clipboard writing down complaints?
Of course, Derek can’t be deported from Spain because it transpired on this forum that he doesn’t even live there lol.
I dance at all fiestas, when possible, and also have regular dancing lessons. Do you? I also play in local bands at many fiestas. Do you? One can easily enjoy aspects of a country and at the same time criticise other aspects of it. You never really integrated at all, Derek. But do keep up the ad hominem abuse; it’s the fastest route to a lost argument I find.
Fred, what he cannot see is the utter hypocracy of everything he spouts.
Spain is so good that he’s living in Spain and working with his fluent Spanish for a Spanish company – NOT.
Like you I participated in local life because we lived exclusively among the actual Spanish – I wonder where he has an apartment – on a self imposed Brit ghetto?