Tourism in some regions of Corfu, like the North East Coast area, has taken a different path from elsewhere in
Corfu. In the North East, small, mainly owner-run, villa companies handle the majority of business. But in resorts
like Sidari it is the big boys, the mass-market operators, who run the show. The giant tour operators have a vertical
monopoly on the market. They own not only the tour operations, but also the high street outlets, which sell the
product, as well as the airlines, which transport the punters to their chosen destinations. Chosen? Well, not always.
The giant TO’S stranglehold allows them to manipulate the market to their own gain. That's what it's all about,
don't forget.
More profit in Turkey? Send the holidaymakers there then.
In May our friend John Payne from the Isle of Man tried to book a Sidari holiday with a tour operator, at some
apartments belonging to a friend of his. They told him it was fully booked and recommended Turkey instead. He came
to Corfu on his own later in the summer and visited his friend to congratulate him on a successful season. To find
that he only had 10% occupancy.
Last month we published a letter from a 15-year-old girl, telling us how her family is unable to survive from their
tourism business. “My cousin said yesterday that he has no people at his apartments and tourism is very bad and
he has no money. He said he gets from one big tourist company 63 euro per bed, not enough to cover the expenses.
One customer had visited the previous year and tried to book his apartment but the office in England said it was
full. This was all lies as my cousin had only five people and he had 19 free beds”.
A very disturbing development for North East Corfu is the construction of an 850-bed hotel on one of the island’s
last unspoilt beaches, Saint Spiridon. This will be run by UK holiday giant First Choice as an all-inclusive. Since
everything is paid for in-house, all-inclusives contribute little to the local economy, with most of the income
going straight back into the TO’s pocket. At the same time, they exploit local resources, among them the beauty
of the location. Then after some years, having taken their profit, they move on and leave the ugly monster they
created to decay, ruining forever another small corner of the world.
In Sidari, a new development, still half finished, was recently the subject of ITV’s programme Holidays from Hell.
Its all-inclusive clients complain about poor quality food and long queues for drinks. The management refused to
relocate a lady who’d broken her leg into a more accessible room, forcing her to pay for expensive taxi rides every
time she wanted to go out.
Now, the bad reputation of this hotel has rubbed off on the whole of Sidari. Another own-goal for the tour operators.
There are perhaps 4000 abandoned old houses in villages not far from the sea. These could be renovated to provide
high quality character accommodation for visitors. Some small villa operators have already done just that, and
it works. But more efforts in this direction are required. Purchasers and villa operators can work in tandem to
help residential tourism become a growing market. One that not only does not destroy the environment but, by saving
the old houses, actually enhances it.
But how to get around the giant TO’s stranglehold on flights, and enable people to visit when they want, in winter
too? The answer maybe lies with independent flight companies like EasyJet. All of we small kids on the block now
need to get together to fight the big bullies. We urge you to email easyjetocorfu@yahoo.gr , where you can register your support for a
regular EasyJet flight direct to Corfu. Your backing for our campaign, to prove to EasyJet that flights would be
viable. The more names we get, the more likely we are to succeed.
The Internet also provides a means to break the TO’s stranglehold. EasyJet owes its success to the Web. And, to
arrange accommodation, the Net enables clients to book direct with small local companies. This trend is sure to
grow, at the expense of the giants. Could the Internet be the straw that finally breaks their back?
The small villa companies have set a fine example. Let’s support them, and encourage them to do more. The only
way to prevent more Saint Spiridon complexes is for us to provide attractive alternatives, and for holidaymakers
to book through the Internet, not with the giants. But more importantly, when you book your holiday, ask your tour
operator first if they have accommodation in an old restored house. The TO’s will soon get the message, and you
will help prevent new development of any kind.
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