'We fled to Greece after holidaying in Turkey and it was the best decision'
Turkey is a popular holiday destination for British tourists. However, just last week a fresh warning was issued from the Foreign Office amid a rise in the number of assaults happening in the country. Tourists were also previously warned against all travel to areas of the country within 10 kms of the the border with Syria due to 'fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism'. All of these factors are contributing to a 'massive' drop in tourism. Many once busy Turkish resorts are reportedly being left 'empty' as tourists favour Greece , as they believe it to be safer. Reporter Alex Evans recently travelled to Turkey and claimed it will be his first and last visit to the country, which is also known as Turkiye. Alex was lured into visiting the country after embarking on a quest to cross off every place the carrier Jet2 serves with cheap flights, reports the Express . And here he explains why he left the country half way through his holiday for neighbouring Greece. Alex said: "It turns out we didn't really like Turkey. In fact, we ended up ditching Turkey and fled to Greece midway through our holiday, so our experience perfectly matches up with what other British tourists seem to have gone through or be going through. "We took a trip to Marmaris, along the Turkish coastline. This alone, is a tale of two resorts. The top end of Marmaris is packed with gated, shaded upmarket resorts with sprawling grounds, facing the mountains and the sea. "The bottom end, towards the city, is not. Its offerings are punctuated by decrepit looking water parks, Pirates of the Caribbean themed booze cruises and drag acts. There's nothing wrong with any of that, but it felt a little bit 'Blackpool-on-Sea'. "In one memorable encounter, we settled into a restaurant on the seafront for what we thought was a nice spot for a quiet meal, and at exactly 9pm, ten minutes into my main, loud music started blaring and the waiters ripped their tops off. Apparently this lovely restaurants, unbeknownst to us, moonlights with male table dancers. I've never wolfed down a spag bol so quickly. "It has been reported that during the first 10 days of April 2024, the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes combined welcomed 20,690 Turkish tourists, many of whom in previous years when it was trickier to secure visas are likely to have holidayed in their home country. Tourism representatives in Türkey have expressed concern about this situation, with some demanding the cancellation of express visas. "We did the exact same thing. By day three of our Turkish holiday, we had booked a ferry to Rhodes, which cost about £80 each - and the transformation was immediate. "As soon as we stepped off the boat, we could see why so many are making the same decision. Rhodes is a beautiful island with a staggering historic old town. The castle walls wrap around the central medieval city, metres from the postcard marina. The old town itself is full of delightful restaurants, interesting shops and fascinating culture. "My main memory of Turkey's retail was aggressive salesmen trying to shove 'free' Turkish delight samples into my hands and then demanding money, and piles upon piles of fake designer clothes shops. And every other shop was called Asda or Tesco, despite having nothing to do with British supermarkets. "In Rhodes by contrast, we ate fresh gyros, wonderful local yoghurt and honey, and found some original handmade Rhodos jewellery. We then walked around the castle walls, taking in the Greek architecture, all while soaking in the mid-30sC heat that was just as warm as Turkey's Marmaris (both were a bit too warm sometimes in truth) but at least it had a cool breeze. "On the way back we noted another quirk: a group of about four men all wielding PS5 consoles they'd bought in Rhodes. Apparently Turkey has introduced a hefty tax on video games, and it encourages another whole cottage industry: games cruisers, who go on ferries across the water to buy cheap games consoles without the tax and bring them back to Turkey. "This I'm sure pumps more money into neighbouring Greece and takes hundreds of hundreds of Euros/Lira out of Turkey's economy. "Rhodes was more expensive, but it's true, you really do get what you pay for - and next time we'd skip Turkey and go straight to Greece."
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Complete with an arcade, a bowling alley, pool tables, a couple of bars, restaurants, and a few stages for entertainment shows in and around the space — it's hard to imagine being bored within its tented walls. You best believe I was a sucker for the arcade games, enjoying myself as much as the swarms of elated children around me. On closer inspection, I found I wasn't the only adult indulging. Seeing the parents in my vicinity become kids themselves was a joy to watch. A spirited game of bowling and a few rounds of pool later, I was in my 11-year-old self's childhood paradise. For those with kids, there were heaps of live shows on offer including The Masked Singer hosted by Mark Rhodes (of Crackerjack and CBBCs Junior Bake Off fame) featuring masked celebrity participants, Electric Wonderland, Iconic, Snow White and her Magnificent Friends, Animals and Mythical Beasts, and even a meet-and-greet with Gladiators stars Cyclone and Nitro. They were always jam-packed, and with the energy radiating out of them, it wasn't difficult to understand why. A brand-new addition to Butlin's Bognor Regis' already jam-packed holiday resort is the PLAYXPERIENCE. Having opened its doors to the public in October 2024, the PLAYXPERIENCE was definitely a highlight of my first-ever Butlin's weekend. Sprawled over two floors and nearly 50,000 square feet, it's undoubtedly a haven for gamers and fans of modern tech. A VR Cade featuring state-of-the-art VR games, laser tag, techputt (mini-golf), digi darts, escape rooms, glow pong, shuffleboard, a batting cage, and neo games — there's something for everyone is this gamer's paradise. Equipped with a bar and cafe within the premises, it was safe to say me and my passion fruit daiquiri had a great time while indulging in some neon mini golf. Another definite highlight was playing laser tag with mischievous kids and their equally (over) enthusiastic parents. 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Breakfast timings were 8am to 10:30am on all days, and while the spread was extensive and catered to both kids and adults, the actual taste and quality of the food was average for me. But I guess you can't have everything. We were also surprised when we walked in at 10am the first day - I guess everyone wakes up really, really early as we definitely felt like the odd ones out, with people looking at us like we had two heads! The next day we made it at 9.45am but I still think everyone gets up really early and fuels up - which for me, being the person who likes to maximise sleep and get breakfast at the last minute, was not ideal. A cute little fairground was the cherry on top of my Butlin's weekend. From go-karts and adventure golf, to mini-rides and a trampoline — the pre-booked All-Action Pass proved to be a success. My inner Lewis Hamilton came out to play in a spirited round of karting (in which I came first - and no, it doesn't matter that I was one of a handful of adults competing against mainly children). While I didn't take a swim, the faces of happy families walking around with wet hair and huge smiles plastered on their faces was enough to tell me it would've been a fun experience (when it wasn't raining and unbelievably windy). So, how did my first Butlin's visit rank as far as holidays go? Three days of fun, games, activities, and kids. Lots and lots and lots of kids. Perhaps the next time I'll return is when I have a little one of my own. Butlin's offers a three-night Showtime Weekend break featuring staying in a two bedroom Ocean Hotel room in Bognor Regis from £269 on 11 July 2025. Price is based on a two adults sharing and includes all live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per junior (6-14), per day and £6.80 per child (2-5). To find out more head to
