I'm a Brit in Marbella - there's a €350 beach club rip-off tourists need to be aware of
Nadia Abraham, who's been visiting the Costa del Sol resort since she was a child, says some beach clubs in the city are ripping off tourists with high prices.
Daybeds on the sands have been particularly hit, she says, claiming one club has more than doubled its prices, now charging couples 350 euros - around £303 - per day.
Filming on a tourist beach in the popular destination, Nadia warned people to be wary of price hikes.
She said: 'If you are coming to Marbella this summer then I just want to put this video up here to warn people not to be scammed by some of these beach clubs.'
Explaining her knowledge of the resort and prices, she revealed she has been 'coming here every year since I was four-years-old. Every single summer I spend here. The prices have just gone up like crazy.'
Panning the camera around a beach, she tells those watching the TikTok post , which has had more than 7,000 likes, how tourists are being exploited.
She said: 'It's an expensive place, you expect things to be expensive...but there's one thing paying a premium and another thing absolutely scamming people and I feel like they just do it to the tourists, not the locals.'
The holidaymaker says the price of day beds at one resort have risen in price from 150 euros (£129) per day to 350 euros.
A furious Nadia said: 'Bearing in mind this isn't a minimum spend so you can't put this towards drink or food, it's just the day hire cost of the beds.'
She adds: 'They're now charging 350 euros...what the actual F? That is like daylight robbery. Ridiculous.'
How can tourists get the same experience without paying through the nose?
Find a public beach, she advises: 'Single beds are 12 euros each - and you can come up here for lunch, get a drink at the bar but you'll save yourself 350 euros - it's the same beach, the same sea!'
Earlier this month it was revealed that a sneaky wine scam has made a comeback in bars and restaurants across popular European holiday destinations, with experts warning it could cost unsuspecting tourists far more than just their money.
Wine 'repotting' involves staff quietly collecting unfinished glasses and bottles of wine left behind by customers, mixing the contents together, and reselling it as high-end varieties such as Rioja, Chablis, or Albariño.
The mixed wine is often poured into generic, unlabelled bottles and passed off as premium products - sometimes at eye-watering prices.
The scam has been reported in tourist hotspots across Spain, Italy, and France, particularly in Paris, but similar incidents have also emerged in parts of the US and Asia.
Insiders say the scam is often set up at management level, with restaurant owners and managers instructing staff to carry out the practice to discreetly increase profits, as reported by EuroWeekly.
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, one veteran waiter said: 'When it's quiet, we collect the leftovers from open bottles and present them as a "superior" white wine.'
A wine expert who joined the publication's investigation added: 'You couldn't tell a rioja reserva from a generic red unless you really study the body and the fruity notes.'
Experts further warn that the scam goes beyond the loss of money - it carries potential health risks, too.
With no control over what goes into the mix, customers may be unknowingly consuming wine with undisclosed or unidentified additives or allergens.
People with sulphite sensitivities, intolerances or allergies may be especially at risk.
Though local food and drink regulators have stepped up inspections in cities like Paris, enforcement remains inconsistent in busy tourist areas where customer turnover is high.
The scam is particularly prevalent in high-footfall areas where visitors may be unfamiliar with local wine labels or pricing, and therefore less likely to notice when something is off.
Wine experts have since advised travellers to take simple precautions to reduce the risk of being served repotted or counterfeit wine, as highlighted by EuroWeekly.
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The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
The Spanish party town with 87p shots that's ‘better than Benidorm' & BEGGING Brits to return after anti-tourist demos
IT'S midnight and Boozers Fest Bar is packed to the rafters with a host of 18 to twentysomethings, all jostling to play a wild new drinking game. This Dutch -run party bar charges £17.50 to take part in 'Snappy', where ten shots are placed around a crocodile toy for punters to down if its mouth shuts when they press its teeth. 18 18 18 18 As they drink, the crowd whoops and hollers and the room, no doubt, starts to spin. Kim, 21, falls foul of the snap, and tells me: 'It's like being a kid again, but with an extra hit. 'We love it here — fun and alcohol, what more could you want?' So far, so typical of a Spanish holiday for British youngsters, many on their first sunshine break without mum and dad cramping their style. But while this bar is bursting, the same cannot be said for other venues in the Spanish resort town of Lloret de Mar. With 100-plus bars and clubs, it was once branded the country's 'party capital' but now many of the venues sit partially empty or closed — an unwelcome result of the nationwide anti-tourist protests that have driven customers away. As a result, the pub owners and party organisers here are pleading with high-spending Brits to return. Currently, the town is besieged by Dutch and German tours of under age teens, who barely spend any money and demand that prices stay low or they won't come. Drinks prices on this section of the Costa Brava haven't risen since 2018, so shots are on offer for one euro (87p) and cocktails for eight euros (£7). Locals are now yearning for its early-Noughties heyday when it was a Club 18-30 destination for Brits. Anti-tourist protesters blast holidaymakers with water guns & block hotels Local shop owner Mohan, 45, told The Sun: 'Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. "We love English tourists here because they spend the most. 'Yes, some get a bit drunk and loud, but that's not the end of the world. 'The protests in Barcelona have put people off coming here. It's July, and it's not as busy as it should be. 'We want tourists to know they are welcome. I've lived in Lloret since 1999 and everyone here wants more Brits — more tourists, not less.' Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. We love English tourists here because they spend the most Mohan, Local shop owner Last year 18.4million of us headed to Spain, contributing £20billion to the country's economy, according to the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. But over-tourism has been blamed for inflating Spain's housing crisis, with protesters in Barcelona, the Balearics and Canary Islands holding signs saying 'Tourists go home' and 'Foreigners not welcome'. Lloret is not immune to the housing concerns of places such as Ibiza and Tenerife, but instead of blaming the tourists they have targeted their anger at the government. Officials have responded by cracking down on unlicensed accommodation, which last week saw cops raid 23 illegal tourist flats and slap the owners with fines of up to £20,000. Restaurant Pinocchio owner Claudio La Face, 37, explained: 'Unlicensed holiday flats are a problem because people are concerned about renting to locals as if there is a problem, such as not paying rent, there is little they can do. "On top of that, many prefer to rent to tourists because they can make a lot of money, despite the risk of big fines.' 'Better than Benidorm' 18 18 18 Italian Claudio, who has lived in Lloret for 12 years, said he struggles to understand the anti- tourist protests happening in other parts of Spain. 'It has affected our numbers here, especially this year,' he said. 'But we need tourists in Lloret, we love them. Most of Spain needs tourists too, so protesting against them doesn't help anyone. "Tourists should come to Lloret for the good weather, the beautiful beaches, and amazing food options. Plus there are lots of cultural places around here to visit, such as Girona.' One of the biggest draws to the town is its party district, home to one of the world's best clubs, Tropics. The main strip, Avenue Just Marles Vilarrodona, is full of venues that can hold thousands of revellers, and the winding side streets boast a seemingly unending array of cocktail bars offering outrageous drinking games. Don't Let The Duck Out sees players put on a swim cap and snorkelling goggles to try to grab a bottle of alcohol from a large water bowl. Essentially it's boozy apple bobbing. British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret. Lucy said: 'My sister recommended it, and it's crazy here. We have no regrets booking it. It's fun.' Other Brits out on the lash include Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, who booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website. For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool Ollie Bott They've flown out with six mates, who they have managed to lose by the time they bump into The Sun. Ollie said: 'For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool.' Newlyweds Rachel, 37, and Phillip, 41, from Leeds, are here for their honeymoon. 'It wasn't quite what we expected for our honeymoon, but we love how lively it is,' courier Phillip said. 'I'd certainly come back here with the lads, or let my sons have their first drinking holiday here as it feels really safe. There's nice food and the booze is cheap. 'Plus everyone here has been really friendly compared to other holidays we've been on.' Couple Paul Willmot and Janette Machin, both 57, from Bridlington, Yorks, reckon it could even start to rival Brit favourite Benidorm. Janette said: 'It's been really great so far. It has potential and reminds me of Beni and Sunny Beach before they got super-popular. We didn't let the protests in other parts of Spain put us off, and no one else should either.' 18 18 18 Standing in doorways and draped over pavements are revellers debating which bar to move to next. Some are being shepherded by tour operators. 'A little rowdy' Back on the main street are Disco Londoner and Touch Down Sports bar, both owned by Marcus Faraji. He told The Sun: 'Ninety per cent of the industry here is based around tourism, even if it's not directly. 'More needs to be done to educate locals that their livelihoods and comforts come from tourists being welcome here. This is getting lost because many people are so worried about the housing issues. 'The drinking tourism we get upsets some, and they complain that people don't come here to visit cultural places, but the truth is we don't have the infrastructure for that. "Many of the tourists that come here are in groups organised by tour operators, who take up bulk bookings at hotels. 'It means we have to keep drinks cheap, because if we raise our prices they threaten to not come. 'But some of the people they bring are as young as 16, so we won't serve them anyway, and they don't have a lot of money to spend, which harms the economy. 'English people don't travel in the same way. We would like more of them because they spend a huge amount on both restaurants and on alcohol.' Bars caught serving booze to someone under age risk a fine of £2,600 for each case — and the drinker can be handed a £850 fine. Local businessman Igor Peyman, 54, is also keen to see more British holidaymakers pitch up in Lloret. He said: 'English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. 'They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all. There is so much for people to enjoy here so we hope they aren't put off by the protests in other parts of Spain.' 'Spanish Blackpool' But not everyone is a fan of Lloret. Holidaymaker Amanda, from Stratford-upon-Avon, West Mids, reckons it's essentially ' Blackpool in Spain'. She added: 'You do have to look for the nicer places to go as the centre is very young and aimed at a younger crowd.' Her pal Michele agreed, but added: 'Everyone has been really friendly, and you don't get hassled to go to restaurants or shops. Parts of the town are quite dated and need investment.' We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets Tattoo shop worker Jose Tattoo shop worker Jose, 30, is keen for Lloret to only welcome tourists who will be respectful. He said: 'We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets. 'Tourists who want to have fun but appreciate we live here are always welcome, even if they're a little rowdy. 'Lloret is a poor town, and most of us have to earn our living for the year in the space of six weeks. "We love tourists and we always want them to come here.' 18 18 18 18 18 What is overtourism? Overtourism is where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity. The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues. As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals. Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources. In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism. These include:
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
How over-tourism turned a chic Paris neighbourhood into a theme park
Michèle Barrière has had a lifelong love affair with Montmartre, living a stone's throw from the Moulin Rouge for the past 30 years. She has frequented its ivy-clad cafes and pastel houses for twice as long and has always embraced the changes to her beloved 'butte', as locals call the hilltop area with sweeping views of Paris. 'But enough is enough,' said the 72-year-old as she marched past souvenir shops and tour groups with her corgi, Valentine. 'Montmartre has become an amusement park, and we are the attractions. Soon they'll be throwing us peanuts,' she scoffed. 'It's Disneyland.' With its cobbled streets, windmills, vineyard, funicular railway, and bohemian history, Montmartre has long been popular with foreign visitors. The white-domed Sacré-Coeur basilica and the portrait artists of Place du Tertre have been a magnet for decades. But many among the district's 27,000 residents now say cohabitation with millions of tourists, who outnumber them 423 to one, has reached breaking point. Last year, the Sacré-Coeur was the most visited monument in France, ahead of the Eiffel Tower, with 11 million visitors. Montmartre now has an even denser tourist zone per capita than Venice. 'It has got totally out of hand. I have nothing against tourists per se, but now my prevailing feeling is one of hostility,' said Ms Barrière, an author of historic and culinary detective works. 'Sometimes I can't even reach my front door due to these hordes.' To prove her point, she shooed a tour group coming up the Rue de l'Abreuvoir with a royal wave as if they were pesky pigeons. Valentine, the corgi, looked on placidly. Eric Durand, a photographer, resident and member of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, said tourism had gone into overdrive since the end of the Covid lockdowns. 'Before, it was mainly felt on weekends when the weather was nice. Since the end of the pandemic, and even more so since the Olympic Games [last summer], it's been like this all year round,' referring to the crowds of tourists outside his home. He said the influx of tourists started with the 2001 cult movie Amélie. Tourists continue to flock to the Café des Deux Moulins, where scenes showing the heroine at work were shot. The Netflix series Emily in Paris brought even more tourists, who seek out sites that feature in the show such as La Maison Rose restaurant, or the Wall of Love in a garden off the Place des Abbesses with 'I love you' written in a myriad of languages on ceramic tiles. 'We saw it on the show and on TikTok so we thought it would be fun to come,' said Jen Park, a New Yorker who posed with her husband Bruce in a pit-stop during their trip to attend a wedding in Paris. Then last year, the Paris Olympics brought the road bike race to Montmartre with images beaming around the world of cyclists hurtling up Rue Lepic with a crowd of 55,000 cheering them on. As if that wasn't enough extra publicity, on Sunday July 27, the final stage of the Tour de France will make a detour via Montmartre for the first time ever, before riders finish on the Champs-Elysées. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, personally announced the news. 'It's obviously great for business, but I do understand local residents' gripes about the number of people,' said Julien Ogeard, the 34-year-old manager of Le Nazir, whose boss is a cycling fan and is thrilled the Tour will pass by their cafe. 'My fear,' said Mr Durand, 'is that the tourists are now moving down the hill and saturating other areas, particularly Abbesses, which has become one long line of tourist terraces.' He added: 'We already had one amusement park at the top, now we risk having a second below. 'Montmartre is losing its soul. I'm thinking of moving out, and I'm not the only one.' Revolt has been brewing since the recent introduction of new traffic restrictions. There are fears it will force families to leave, and drive small shops that serve residents, such as butchers and greengrocers, out of business. Meanwhile, they say gas-guzzling tourist sidecars and Citroen 2CVs continue to hurtle down cobbled streets, scaring people. Others complain about rocketing real estate prices, with flats selling for up to €15,000 (£13,000) per square metre. Tourist rentals, meanwhile, are pushing out local families, who are leaving en masse. Between 20 and 30 per cent of properties are Airbnb listings, 'and that's not counting undeclared rentals,' said Brice Moyse of Immopolis agency and president of the Lepic-Abbesses shopkeepers' association. 'In the neighbourhood, long-term rentals have disappeared,' he told Le Monde newspaper. In recent months, banners have appeared in windows with messages such as 'Forgotten residents!', 'Let the Montmartrois live!' and 'Behind these façades there are people'. But also, on school buildings: 'No to class closures!' 'It's the same problem across Paris: the socialist town hall takes decisions without ever properly consulting residents,' said Béatrice Dunner, a translator who has lived in the neighbourhood since 1976. As president of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, she is drawing up a white paper she hopes the candidates the city's mayoral elections next year will adopt. She said Amsterdam, Barcelona and Majorca were models. Ms Dunner's proposed measures include higher tourist taxes on hotels and tougher regulations and checks on tourist accommodation, as well as limiting tourist group sizes. Other options are a ban on tour guide intercoms and pre-empting more commercial leases to avoid yet more shops selling Chinese-made Emily in Paris berets. 'We also need to decide, at the national level, whether we want yet more tourists,' Ms Dunner added. Last year, the Paris region welcomed 22.6 million visitors. In one bastion of resistance, at La Cave des Abbesses, a group of residents popped the cork off a bottle of crémant de Bourgogne and handed out glasses of red as the clock struck the aperitif hour of 6pm. 'We still meet up and it is still a life for locals, but look around, there used to be three bookshops, a sweetshop for kids from the local school, a drugstore. Now they're all brand stores. They're the only ones who can pay the rent,' said Sabine Bouillet, who works in a tea shop. 'I'm not happy at all,' said Olivier Boukhobza, 36, a resident who works for Le Vrai Montmartre (The Real Montmartre), which creates profiles of locals. 'The real acceleration came in the past five years with the rise of influencers and Instagrammers who post from Montmartre and make it a must-see location.' 'We need to find the right balance between tourists, locals and those who work here. Right now, it's the tourists who have the upper hand.'
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
How to holiday safely this summer under the Mediterranean sun
The Mediterranean is synonymous with sunshine, but intensifying heatwaves are spoiling holidays and even claiming lives. Here's how you can still enjoy its stunning destinations – safely. Georgia Fowkes considered herself a seasoned traveller. As an advisor for Altezza Travel, she was used to navigating sweltering environments, from East Africa to Southern California. But surrounded by whitewashed buildings and ancient ruins in Greece while dripping with sweat, she was miserable. "A European heatwave hits differently," she said. "The kind [of heat] that cancels your plans, fries your brain and makes you rethink why you booked a rooftop hotel in July." In recent years, many of the Mediterranean's iconically sunny destinations like Italy, Greece, France and Spain have become increasingly besieged by devastating heatwaves, leading unsuspecting tourists to come up with creative solutions to keep cool."Our hotel had AC technically, but it groaned like a dying fan and gave up by mid-afternoon," said Fowkes. "The tap water came out warm. There were no blackout curtains. I tried sleeping with a wet towel on my chest and a bottle of frozen water under my knees and still woke up dizzy. At one point, I moved my pillow to the stairwell and lay on the tiles like a Victorian fainting lady because that was the only surface remotely cool." Travellers wandering through the Mediterranean's winding alleyways and descending on its turquoise seas this summer have found little reprieve; several scorching heatwaves have already brought record-busting temperatures, leading to a spike in heat-related health problems and even deaths across Europe. "The line of the tropics has literally moved," explained Nick Cavanaugh, a climate scientist and founder of Sensible Weather, a climate risk technology company. "There are all these circulation patterns around the world and the ones that surround the tropics are actually growing." More extreme temperatures are predicted across southern Europe this weekend, just as the European holiday season comes to its peak. Dr Olalekan Otulana, a doctor at Cassiobury Court in the UK feels that tourists may be particularly susceptible to overheating, as many of the activities that travellers enjoy on holiday, such as walking tours through cobblestoned villages, long nature hikes and wine tastings, can exacerbate heat-related illnesses. "Extreme heat can be deceptively dangerous," he said. "Especially when people are on holiday and naturally more relaxed about their usual routines." Short of taking your summer holidays further north, here are some expert travel tips for enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine – safely. Choose your accommodations wisely It's not uncommon to find businesses, Airbnbs and even train stations in southern Europe that are completely without air conditioning – a fact that might take many non-European travellers by surprise. "Electricity has always been very expensive in Italy," said Andrea Moradei, founder of Vinarium, a Florence-based wine and culture tourism company. "We all grew up trying to conserve energy. You learn from a young age to only keep the windows open from late evening until 21:00. You use shutters and curtains [to keep cool during the day.]." Moradei recommended that travellers to southern Europe choose accommodations that stay cool naturally – like historical structures made of stone or brick, which were designed to absorb heat during the day, or hilltop lodgings that feature exterior shutters and cross ventilation for night-time air flow. Do as the locals do – relax after lunch The hours after lunchtime are often the hottest of the day, which offer travellers an invitation to embrace their inner Mediterranean and take a siesta, or break. "As [we do] in many Mediterranean countries, try to limit your activities in the afternoon," Moradei advised. "You can't fill your days with so many different activities because it's too hot. Take a cue from the locals… let some of the hours of the day slip away." In Spain, Italy and Greece, many shops and restaurants close after lunch (typically until 17:00) while residents retreat to the quiet of their homes. Hanging out in your hotel may seem like a waste of precious holiday time, but even a quick power nap can improve your stamina; crucial when dealing with debilitating heat. Taking a siesta doesn't have to mean sleeping, either. In Italy, the lazy post-prandial hours are referred to as the pausa pranzo (lunch break) and are seen as a way to recharge during a demanding day and, on weekends, digest an epic lunch. Catch up on your reading or plot your next meals. Smart sightseeing While it's tempting to pack in as many activities as possible on holiday – especially if you only have a few days abroad – experts recommend adopting a leisurely, energy-conserving pace and prioritising indoor activities during the worst heat of the day. When Whitney Haldeman – founder of Atlas Adventures, a luxury travel group for women – faced extreme heat on one of her trips to southern France, she said the group "shifted sightseeing to earlier in the morning, prioritised long lunches in spots with shade or aircon, built in daily rest time and leaned into slower, more sensory experiences: like wine tastings in cool cellars or floating in the hotel pool." Museums and historic churches are generally well-ventilated, so you can still come face to face with ancient relics and religious treasures without putting yourself at risk. Know the signs of heatstroke Nothing spoils a holiday like an unexpected visit to an emergency health clinic, so recognising the danger signs of heat exhaustion can be crucial. "With heat exhaustion, people may notice feeling dizzy, excessively sweating or feeling nauseous," said Dr Otulana. "If it progresses to heat stroke, symptoms become more serious and can include confusion and loss of consciousness as well as severe headache. There can also be a lack of sweating despite feeling hot. The body's temperature regulation system essentially shuts down and their temperature can rise above 40C, which risks organ damage." Otulana advises that travellers drink water regularly, even if they're feeling well. "Hydration is critical," said Dr Otulana. "So, maintain consistent fluid intake throughout the day." Haldeman recalled how her tour group frantically sought relief during their French holiday. "Hydration tablets, portable fans and breezy natural fabrics became essential," she said. "One guest brought a battery-powered fan we all envied by day two [of our trip]." It may be tempting to brush off heatstroke warnings – particularly if you are visiting the Mediterranean expressly to enjoy its famous sunshine. But "extreme heat hijacks your whole trip", Fowkes cautions after her own bout with the region's extreme weather. "I [don't] care how pretty the view is – everyone did the same shuffle: find mist machines, hide in grocery stores, count down the hours until after dark. We weren't sightseeing. We were surviving." --
