Spanish people, have Brits ruined the place?

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Jane S

Okay, I'm not Spanish, so maybe I'm not quite qualified to answer, but here's what I saw:

The Brits are a pretty self contained lot. They seem to stay pretty much on the coast (which has been ruined for a long, LONG time, if you ask me - highrise hotels have been there for more than 40 years!)
They don't seem to stray too far from there, largely, it would seem, because they are afraid of REAL Spain. The only Brits I saw in the central and truly beautiful parts of Spain didn't seem the sort who were ruining anything. I suppose, so long as the drunk retirees stay on the coast, where things were already pretty ruined before they turned it into a British "colony", they can't cause too much damage for those of us (British and otherwise) who treasure the things that make Spain what it is.

Samantha May

I am Spanish;
And yes!, the Brits in Benidorm... They are all drunk, full of tatues...
To be honest it puts you of English all together xD

Katie

I know how you feel, Im British and i wouldn't go to most holiday resorts in Spain because of the yobs from my country there known in a lot of countries for being total idiots no respect, But hear we have a huge problem two lots and lots of people are coming into Britain and completely ruining the place, Its not the same anyware anymore :( ...my sympathies

Even going back 15 years Britain's werent like they are today, It must be a generation thing or something i dont know why but these days Brits under say 36 yrs old seem go on holiday just to act like a load of drunken chavs.....embaresing, They give us all a bad name....... :(

Mya

Yes, there are a lot of places like Benidorm that the british have their little colonie, their pubs, their markets, etc. They drink a lot and have a lot of violence.
When the british can to Spain for a football play they always have a lot of problems, because they are always drunk a lot.
But with the German do the same in Mallorca, an island of Spain.
The real problem is the alcohol, drink a lot.

david l

I love Spain, but usually avoid the boozy bits, as I do in Britain. I'm not a 'buy a ticket and take a chance' sort. Which is what package holidays are. If the hotel, food, fellow holidaymakers are not to your liking your stuck with it and no amount of complaining will fix it. I get in the car take a tent and go where I want. If I don't like a place I move on. I've been around the coast of Spain and zig zag my way up through it and I find the impact that lager louts, from anywhere to be minimal. Over the years I have found places that I re-visit and they are 'lager lout free'. Such places are not sold as holidays by package holiday companies. Everytime I go to Europe (my way) I enjoy it immensley and never regret a moment of it.

Carousel

It really depends on how you look at it. Most of the Brits who have moved to Spain are retired and self sufficient. They have brought a lot of wealth to the area. Without these immigrants the unemployment rate would be a lot higher than it's current 14%. On the other hand, if you liked life as it was before, and weren't worried about employment, then you will be annoyed. You have to remember, the coastline wasn't spoilt by the Brits, Germans etc, it was spoilt by the large Spanish construction firms who wanted to make vast profits.
As for British louts, they are the ones that come on holiday, not the ones who retired here.
The Spanish people are the most accommodating people in Europe. They don't view immigration as the British do. There is virtually no xenaphobia here.

hilverchas

I agree with "lightworker", please do not tar us all with the same brush...in April in have been on the Costa del Sol for 27 years along with my mother of 85.
Those who have so called spoilt Spain - well lets put it this way, they would ruin any place they lived!
A slob/louse/layabout is one anywhere!
I also admit on this part of the coast we don't seem to suffer the drunken habits of tourists who frequent the Benidorm/ Alicante areas.
We have been very happy here all these years, even in this so called time of "crisis" taking on the whole its still far cheaper to live here, it does of course depend wether you want the A-list Marbella lifestyle or just live as you would in the UK and according to your own pockets! but weather/prices/health wise I feel there is just no contest between here and the UK. Only today I was talking to a couple who have been back in the UK for two months, both retired, her hubby is in the first stages of Alzhiemers(apologies for the spelling!) she was saying NO more, they think this is the last time they are going back home and will now continue to live here constantly.......
I think I can truly speak for many ex-pats, regardless of those few who make BOLD statements in front of TV cameras that they have been forced to GO! back to the UK, a change of postcode doesn't cure all problems, they will still have the same troubles regardless, especially those who wish to retire, live the high life, of which they can't afford in the first place!
As for saying we might have ruined the place, our contributions over the years to the spanish economy has been great! at least we have paid for all we own, houses/cars/apartments or what have you....we have not walked into this country with our hands out, expecting hand outs, it just doesn't happen here like that....

Thank you all for your time, I hope reading this might put the records just that bit more in order.....

lightworker

Hold on, you can't tar us all with the same brush! I have lived in Spain 18 years, have integrated well, speak fluent Spanish and never go in a Brit bar etc. My daughter has married a Spaniard and has a bilingual daughter now.
Yes, in some respects the Brits who have bars etc that cater for holiday makers have ruined it but those that have arrived in the last few years have brought alot of money into the country and it has prospered because of it.
Over all I think the Spanish people accept us with open arms and are very tolerant. They accepted us because of our money, unlike the foreigners flooding Britain.
I actually live in Benidorm and regarding the comments made by others about it..........it's holiday makers that are drunk and making fools of themselves here, not residents. (Btw Spaniards get drunk and make fools of themselves too lol)

BooNaaNaa =]

Lmao! I feel so sorry for Spain, we have actually just ruined the place!
When someone says that are going on Holiday to Spain, it doesn't sound exciting, nice or exotic anymore :(

Spain should ban the British for a while!

AJFreeway

Not just Spain. They have cmpletely taken over central Florida as well.

Robert D

But the money we bring in (Like economic migrants in the UK) make up for it.

Poo Poo

si, sin lugar a duda

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