I recently recommended Turkey to a colleague for his holiday. They (my colleague and his girlfriend) have just returned from Marmaris and I was very embarrassed to hear that they did NOT enjoy their trip.

The main complaint was the constant hassling by Turks in the resorts every time they stepped outside the hotel. To go to the beach was a nightmare because they were followed right onto the beach by people hassling them to buy things. The evenings were no better as each restaurant employed men to entice people into eat, instead of letting them choose for themselves. They were unable to even look at the displayed menus because of these over-enthusiastic restaurant workers trying to push them inside.

The guests at the hotel seemed to be in agreement with them that this constant hassling would prevent them returning.

The food in the hotel was "disgusting" and, after talking with other tourists at the airport, they concluded that if a Turkish hotel calls itself 4 star, you should consider it to be 2 star!

To add insult to injury, the food and drink at the airport is probably the most expensive in the world!!! (I remember it too!). My colleague was forced to purchase food when their plane was delayed and it cost £30 for two sandwiches and two coffees!!!!!!!!! RIP OFF!

Turkey needs to give their tourist industry a serious re-think!

I thought the hassling had supposed to have been stopped?
When I went to Turkey a few weeks ago, my family were still being hassled alot, but it was nowhere near as much as in previous years.
You can't blame them for trying to get your business.. but we are used to choosing for ourselves and it is a culture shock.
Still... I very much love Turkey and how different it is from home.

Katya.

This is all new to me, we've never had any problems whilst going to Turkey, I've been many times bymyself and too many times with my parents and grandparents and never came across anything like you mentioned

If you look Turkish you don't really get hassled... I was fine when on my own, but when with my blonde blue-eyed sister, it was a different story!

Katya.

I went to Marmaris last year... and yes we were hassled, mainly to eat in resturants, as I didnt really do any shopping. However having been to other countries where it is ten times worse (Like Egypt, Thailand and west Africa) it didnt really bother me too much.. a polite and firm no was usually enough to convey the message ...

I don't look turkish one bit, but I have recently got as turkish passport but of course not everyone knows that when I'm in turkey just the people in the airport and relatives

Two of my colleagues went to marmaris and they did not like it at all because of all the hassle they got. My son and his wife went to Kemer and at one point two restaurant owners started fighting because they choice one shop over another.I have been to gumbet many times. The first time we really got hassled, but after getting to know the locals the years after we did not have a problem and last year hardly at all, but was told business had been told they had not to hassle and police where walking round checking .I have to say i find being hassled to a certain degree fun and all part of the holiday.

.

I think it always happens unfortunately..
Those well known places like marmaris, bodrum etc are worse.
I would not recommend marmaris to anybody. It is a horrible place.
Datca, Kas, kalkan, foca (old one) would be my recommendations.
But the interesting thing in this post is that 'anti-Turkish' Aenigma sending people to Turkey (and as every little drop helps, she is contributing to Turkey's tourism)
Well done !!

education is must be an obligation for toursim sector,but pity most of workers not enough well-educated who working on this sector and thats really big negativity for our country ,almost we has a great tourism potential.So we can only apoligize from our guests who leaving unpleased from our country

That's very decent apology, MrX67.
I found it interesting when reading this thread and the thread on "rug buying story"

(www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_7_30765)

The tourist in the story was not planning to buy a rug yet she/he entered the shop, drank the tea(not just one glass, I guess), listened and responded to the somewhat "hassling" sales techniques, checking out 20-30 big and small rugs...and at last bought not just one rug but two!

For price less than USD$800 buying 2 rugs may seem quite worth to the tourist. But it was really a very good deal for the salesman, I suppose.

This may be quite an encouragement to the "hassling" culture in Turkish tourism. Yet I personally do not think that is too much of a disturbance according to my expereinces.

.

That's a shame to hear about your friends visit. Especially, when you go out on a limb and recommend a place to visit.

It reminds me of my first experience in Mexico..but after going several times I guess I just got use to it. But it has never been that extreme of harrassing. I think for the most part the Mexican people are pretty respectful. You say no and they understand. You don't have to repeat yourself a hundred times before they get it.

Then I visit Aruba, where no one on that island had the desceny to even speak to you. You would walk in a shop and not even a hello from the worker. That gave me a whole new appreciation for the Mexicans who some can't even speak our language. But what is the Dutches excuse....

I do think alot of people struggle and they probably get commission for sales and the people they can get in their stores in Turkey. So they take every means to do so. If they only realized that a simple "Let me know if there is anything I can help you with"..then stand back and let us shop. The aggressive and harrassing behavior is only going to make people NOT want to come back to Turkey.

Thanks for the tip about the airport prices, criminal if you ask me.

We should start an apology petition for aenigma's friends!!

You can forget Marmaris, even Icmeler, aks me and I will open your eyes. Just look at Marmaris, if you ask me it feels like a British Colony. Same in Icmeler.

Yes, I experienced the same thing in Marmaris and Bodrum. It is a bother. But after the first 'No", it get easier. Just keep your head straight and keep on walking.

I also try to avoid the larger resorts as well. I am surprised AEnigmamagnadea did not warn her friends about the hassle before they went as she explains in the 5th post that the resorts are well known for it. The prices in the airports are also well known.

Your replies to my posts are becoming rather predictable Bydand *yawn*

Yes, maybe I should have remembered to warn my friends about the airport prices, but actually I didn't know the problems in the resorts was so bad until everyone told too late!

Hahahaha yes you are right next time I will say...."ouh you must go to Turkey, but make sure you don't buy food and drink at the airport (even if your plane is delayed for 2 days) and don't ACTUALLY stay in any of the beach resorts or you will be hassled all day and if you have any women with you under 60, beware of waiters and barman....in fact, go to Spain!

From what you are all saying we should go to lesser known areas of Turkey in order to have a good holiday in Turkey. There is always an element of snobbery in the "oh god, you should never take a package holiday/go to the main resorts".

I don't take package holidays either, but I am not so snobby to dismiss package holiday tourists the way you all seem to. The fact is that 90% of available holiday accommodation is in these areas ONLY and going on a package holiday can be cheaper for most families.

Another fact is that tourists who visit these main resorts bring money to Turkey and keep business in these areas open.

Like it or not, 99% of visitors to Turkey visit these places and what they see and encounter in these resorts is how they will judge the whole country. It is time that some of the practices in these resorts were given an overhaul.

I too am one of those "snobs" who book their own trips, but unfortunately this year we have had to succumb to the package trip because we could not get flights! But I will still put some of my snobbery into action, by not taking the cattle bus, but getting a taxi to the hotel! No doubt there will be plenty of hassling taxi drivers to trip over when we leave the airport ............... and I already know how much they should charge

On our trip around Eastern Turkey we have had no hassle at all. Most tourists in the places we have been have been Turkish and it seems they don't get hassled!
PS-İ laughed at the prices at the airport the first time İ visited in 2004 and nothing has changed-they are the most disproportionately expensive İ have seen anywhere in my travels around the world.

I know about alle these you said, but I have never been bothered, not even with blue eyes and blonde hair! Or at least not that much. Not looking the people in the eye and a firm 'no' usually does the trick.

But then again, never have booked a package-deal either and so far I always stayed away from the mass-tourism.

The Turkish tourist industry is doing rather well despite the dudu's. In the last 10 years tourist numbers have doubled. Also the infrastructure has been greatly improved in the SW with new airports,roads tunnels etc. I also remember the constant power cuts of 20 years ago.