Nick @ Horseshoe Bar Hanioti

Just to wade in with my two pennies worth - I don't know about the Germans, but Brits aren't coming because 90% of the UK travel agents have pulled out of the area so it is difficult unless people travel independently (which a lot of the regulars do).

I have been travelling to Halkidiki for 20 years having worked as a rep there in the early 90s and I now have a holiday home in Pefkohori and go out about 5-6 times a year. It has changed over the years and all our Greek friends with local businesses complain about lack of customers, but although this is partly due to Eastern Europeans having less 'spending money' (as a generalisation) it is also due to the increase in prices (of holidays, food, drinks, petrol etc) so people who are going have less money to spend in the shops, bars & tavernas having spent it on the trip in the first place, and not being able to afford to eat out every meal.

I think it is a shame that there is one dominant nationality out there, particularly in Pefkohori (the Serbians) but this is not on an anti-Serbian basis, just that I would prefer the dominant nation to be the locals i.e. the Greeks, like it used to be. I would rather be surrounded by Serbians (or Bulgarians, Russians etc) than a load of Brits and British bars selling pints of lager! I like the fact that it is not a 'Brits abroad' type of place and still has a local feel to it. I think the advertised 'Serbian parties' in bars is a bit off putting to non-Serbians, but then they are the majority, and back in the early 90s we were just as guilty organising British bar crawls...!

I rest my case!

I find it strangely, minimally racist, for anyone to want any particular bias on ethnicity of visitors, to a holiday destination..after all, Xanioti is a purpose built vacation spot..the fact that the Russians/East Europeans have taken up the void left by "The Brits". 20/30 years ago ALL the signs were in Engish ..Cigarettes, Beer, (how many bars still advertise "John Smiths Smooth, Guinness, Murphys, Strongbow" along with Amstel, Heineken ? Restaurant menus in Greek and English etc..now they are in Russian or Serbian or Bulgarian..so, diversity and adaptability are the order of the day Grrece gets 80% of it`s GDP from tourism..who cares where they come from..as long as they come HERE !!!

hello halkdiki lover you are right i have been visiting for over 10year and all my greek freinds say it not the same without the brits becasuse the eastern europeans dont send any money in the bars and restarunts that is why they are closing and the tour operators aint helping by stopping flights from the nort east and only flying on a monday when 2 week holidays from work are from friday night till the following monday not the tuesday so very hard tto get a 2 week holiday

I agree that the major tour operators must share some responsibility fro the drop in numbers of Brit holidaymakers. I have seen how they screw local hotelier’s down to a ridiculously low room rate so the hotelier’s margins are rock bottom and then they pull out at a moments notice.

It gets no easier trying to do a DIY holiday either. It's getting harder to find cheap flights and if you want to fly (lo cost) from the Midlands to Thessaloniki, forget it.

Just a final thought.

It's not 'Racist' to state that holidaymakers from certain regions of Europe spend less than others, it's a fact!!. If these people go to Greece or anywhere else in Europe for their holidays great, but if when there they spend less than other travellers then the area they stay in and the businesses in that area are bound to see their profits go down.

It's a good job that the hard working people of Thessaloniki still spend a lot of time in the Halkidiki region at weekends and during July and August otherwise the area would be in trouble.

I will be in Halkidiki in a couple of week’s time and will canvas all of my friends who have businesses (ex-pat's and Greek) on their opinion on the subject, I'm hoping that they can ALL survive these trying times.

Greetings to our friends Nicky. We enjoyed the pleasant ambience of your premises. I'll see you when you come here in Serbia, and of course again in Hanioti. Greetings from Sasa and Sladjana.

Hi Nick and Albina.
We are sorry that owing to advancing years we can't visit the Fab Hoseshoe Bar and climb that Stairway to Paradise.any more. Great memories. Cheers. Pat and Tommy.

Hi Nick and Albina. Sorry because of advancing years we can't get to the fab Horseshoe Bar and climb that Stairway to Paradise. Great memories. Cheers. Pat and Tommy.