Arrived friday

[kez&sue]

Hi all arrived 2 hours late last night due to a technical fault on jet2 from East Midlands but better to be safe than sorry resort seems very quiet although we were told last week was busier the hotel owners and restaurant owners are very worried about this season it doesn't help when I put on twitter that we had arrived to be sent replies saying things like hope you have packed your bullet proof vest for the beach,there seems to be alot of scare mongering taking place I will keep you updated as the week progresses we were told last night that the government has increased tax on most things tourist related making a 40% increase to the restaurants costs this will no doubt explain people noticing a price increase of the meals .

[ScouseFitz]

I get tired of these scaremongers, a taxi driver said to me a couple of weeks back,

"Yeah, but you just don't know if you're gonna be safe there"

I replied "Yeah, but I just don't know if you're gonna crash this car and kill me, but I'm prepared to take the chance!!"

He wasn't happy. Like I keep telling people, the only way to beat terrorism is to refuse to be terrorised. Enjoy your hols, and let's hope the season improves.

.

[geordie1970]

Have a great time and we'll see you there from Wednesday ... Staying at the Munamar Beach Residence All inc, but will be out in the Resort every night and through the day for Meals/Drinks as we got the deal so cheap

The scaremongers do my head in and you're right regarding any worries, we've all just got to keep our wits about us and still enjoy going and doing what we would normally do ... Or the scum win!

[ivano]

wish I had a fiver for everytime ive heard your not going to turkey are you,feel more nervous about going to town at a weekend.enjoy your holiday cant wait til september

[mansy]

Same here, if I had a £ for every time someone said...are you safe going to Turkey, I'd be very well off.
I feel more threatened going to a large city in the uk than I do in Icmeler.

[chezza100]

I'm very placid but have come to near blows with people over the whole safety issue - what makes it worse is that they have never visited Turkey.

But I now have my inner chimp under control and just roll my eyes

[Paulssis]

Hi, we are due out on 30/5. Can't wait to see all our lovely Turkish friends we have made over the last 20+ years. I can certainly say I feel safer in Icmeler than I do going to my own home town for weekly shop, and no scaremongers will ever stop us coming over. Enjoy rest of your hol with all the lovely people of Icmeler.

[ian]

There are many reasons why icmeler is quiet and for sure terrorism plays a part but will never stop most people going where they want to,my last post 3 years ago now warned about " the magical essence " of a fantastic resort being eroded away, after the heart was ripped out of the resort the canal would never recover, the stalls were demolished and were replaced at the bottom of the canal with something that reminded me of a toilet block, some referred to the " boom boom bars and the dancing waiters as a nuisance and were glad they were banned from performing,the thriving wednesday market just another nail in the coffin,i,m all for change for the better and there have been some welcome changes to the resort but as i said 3 years ago its the families with there friends and there kids that keep the hotels open and the bars full of customers and not the blue rinse hair mob that are in bed at 9.30 with there ear plugs in or the oracle of everything that happens in icmeler who said she entertained her own kids ! where do you see icmeler in the next 3 years ? are you happy with the resort now ? i would hope that somewhere in that vast empty space between your 2 ears you just might think you were wrong ! people vote with there feet and the families who used to come every year are now going elsewhere.more hotels and bars will close over the next few years and will leave the blonde haired one together with her blue rinse hair friends staring at each other across empty tables .the future looks bleak for what was the best resort on the planet,i can still remember my first visit to icmeler in 1999 and had many fantastic holidays there since and im glad i saw how icmeler was back then,nothing could come close. sad to see how it is now.

[blondie]

While I do understand what you are saying, ian, I have to say I find some of the points you are making a bit insulting, such as your references to the "blue rinse hair mob", as if you're singling older people out for spoiling what you see as what you liked about the resort. I regularly see people of all ages out until late enjoying themselves and that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be in "boom boom bars" watching dancing waiters. Am I happy with the resort now? Yes, actually - I felt that a few years ago it was starting to get a bit tacky and I think the changes have helped to reverse that. There are many reasons why it is going to be quieter this year - bookings for Turkey in general are substantially down, so it's by no means confined to Icmeler. The scaremongering stories in the media certainly haven't helped the situation. We've also been coming to Icmeler for many years now and I happen to think it's more like the place we fell in love with all those years now.

[ian]

well im happy for you that you think icmeler is a better place today,,,,the main point i was trying to get across was the word " choice " if you want a quiet night in the old village or a nite in the secret garden then the choice to do that was there,however that doesn,t keep bars and restaurants open,,,its the families with the children that spend the money in bars with the " choice of entertainment " that keep the resort thriving,once you take that choice away people will try somewhere else,its true you cant dwell on the past and should look to the future,and thats what worries me about icmeler. ! at 54 some may say im a golden oldie myself but clever enough to know its not the older generation that will keep businesses viable,i,m sure on your many walks round the resort you can tell the owners of the hotels and bars that didn,t open this year its a better place today ! it will be interesting to hear there reply !

[blondie]

Ian, that choice is still there - there are the quieter, more chill out places for those who want it, but there are still plenty of lively places with music and entertainment too. I'm not sure what you are getting at about families with children - most places are family-friendly and welcome children - what sort of entertainment for kids would you like to see? We always managed to find plenty to do, even when our two were younger so I honestly can't see what the problem is. There are various places throughout the resort which have stuff for kids to do and most places are family-friendly and make a fuss of the wee ones. I genuinely don't think that is what is behind the drop in tourist numbers - I think there are many factors coming into play this year, and like it or not, the "terrorism" factor (or fear of it) has played a major role in that. I've lost count of the number of people who've told me I'm mad for coming back to Turkey this year - and I know I'm not alone in that. I know others who've been forced to go elsewhere because one person in their party is too scared to come to Turkey. I've also seen many comments on social media from people who've said they would come back if it was just them, but they're not prepared to put their children at risk - or what they perceive at being a risk, and that's their choice.

[ian]

i never expected you to understand the points im making,,,you didn,t 3 years ago and you dont now,,,as always we will disagree on all or most of the reasons as to why icmeler is quiet ! i predicted 3 yrs ago the decline of icmeler and that was before the real threat of terrorism so you can use that as the excuse now,,,,people will make up there own mind and rightly so. enjoy the rest of your day.

[blondie]

Fair enough, we're all entitled to our own opinions, and I'm not looking for an argument, I am genuinely interested to learn what kind of "family entertainment" you think would improve what is on offer in Icmeler. I'm by no means alone in believing that Icmeler is certainly not in decline either...reading various forums and social media is a clear indication that the resort is still as popular as ever with people of all ages, from the oldies to those with families. If you think I'm using "terrorism" as an excuse, try asking the holiday companies whose bookings for Turkey in general are down by as much as 40% what they think the reasons behind that are.

[chezza100]

I've just come back and there are people travelling but the lion share are going All Inclusive and I think this is another reason why the resort seems quieter because people are not going out and about.

I don't think Icmeler is in decline - its definitely changing but your holiday is what you make it.

[mansy]

as mentioned above by chezza a lot of it is All Inclusive taking the trade from the bars and restaurants. as for the low bookings...I had the unfortunate task of frequenting the travel agents yesterday, where i asked if bookings for Turkey were quiet, they told me that up till now yes it had been slow, but only this last week it had gone really busy with people now starting to book Turkey again. this wasn't because she wanted us to book (we are already booked). Yes Icmeler has changed over the past few years, some changes for the better but some not. i am one of the blue rinse brigade you refer to, being 64 1/2 and my hubby being 66, however i bet we are out later than you and don't moan about the music. i find it very offensive to single people out, if something isn't to your liking..there are other resorts available.

[bikerjambo]

Well last year we managed quiet nights out if thats what we fancied and lively nights out too. As a family we'll never be stuck, daughter is taking her guitar this year so quiet nights could be out the window, lol.

[ian]

a mixed bag of nonsense realy,,,please read your post before you post it ! it does make some of you rather silly ! our friend blondie says turkey is down as much as %40,,,she then goes on to say icmeler isn,t in decline ! so with %40 down surely it must be ? or is icmeler immune from that ? our friend chezza on the other hand says the all inclusive tourists are not going out and about ! which is making the resort seem quieter ! so by saying they,re not going out and about he must think they get off the plane and transferd to the hotel/apart where they remain for the holiday !more nonsense ! please try thinking harder before you post.as for the blue rinse hair mob,,,no one knew you were one until you said so, not clever,,,and i bet i,ll be still going there long after your not !well its 01.22 and i expect the oldies are long in bed despite saying they,re up later than me ! more nonsense.

[blondie]

Ian, I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that you're simply looking for an argument and that anyone who disagrees with your view is dismissed as talking "nonsense"...so that's my final word on the subject.

[mansy]

I think this should stop now before something is said that shouldn't. But on a last note from me " Ian you are a very rude person, attacking people you know nothing about". Also, I think everyone on here, that is those who matter, do know I'm a pensioner as I make no attempt to hide the fact.

[JT]

I am watching this with mixed feelings really

When people started to get worried about taking their kids out of school term many years ago because of fines, the families who used to come out in early May and early June stopped coming and that made the resort look really quiet.

People do not stop coming to a resort in a country because the once a week market now sells red peppers instead of fake tracksuits.

You can go to Benidorm for the market if that is your bag, in fact the Heritage market in the Stanley dock in Liverpool sold fake stuff from Turkey cheaper than you could buy it in Turkey

The canal stalls were an assett for sure but people did not choose Icmeler because they wanted to walk around the stalls in the evening and walk their all inclusive meals off and buy nowt

The place is evolving as is Marmaris with its up market bars and restaurants popping up all along the prom

Icmeler was a family place always has been and as the families grow the kids go elsewhere and the parents still come but when the kids have families they will come back, I don't know when that will happen but it will

All the crap in the papers, sorry its not crap as terrorism is all over the world but when it is being used to sell newspapers then places get tarnished and it does not help at all.

As written above, large groups are going elsewhere as one person could be scared.

I had a group of friends who had booked Icmeler last year as they had done for years and were staying in 4 rooms at the Rhodes aparts in August who cancelled because one of the mothers who had never been to Turkey had been reading the news in the papers and was petrified of going. You would not believe where this lady who is a very good friend of mine actually got the whole party of 20+ to go (I forgot they also took rooms at Sun Village) she got them to book Cyprus. This country is like just over 100 miles across the sea from Syria yet it had not been blasted in the newspapers so was safe.

Thankfully we had no trouble filling them again but all the reports hurt everyone

People on the numerous gossip facebook pages about Icmeler do not help as arguments overspill onto all other groups

This year all the big travel boys said that you had better book your European holidays to Spain, Portugal Greece etc etc as with Turkey being 40% down you wont get a room. That never helped anyones business by advertising that Turkey is well down hence people now choosing to go elsewhere like walking past and empty bar, people tend to shy away from empty places.

What the big boys never actually told the public was they had gone to all the hoteliers in all of these resorts in other countries and told them to drop their rates to them drastically and we will fill your rooms.

They get cheaper rooms, they dont drop their prices to you in fact raise them and then they say Turkey is 40 % down so in other words dont go there but we have rooms in other countries.Who wins.The big boys.

What I am trying to get at is there are far too many factors involved

Wooo too much typing.

Play happy