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snapperjon
Symi Visitor
United Kingdom
191 Posts |
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Allan
Administrator
United Kingdom
1083 Posts |
 Posted - 10 October 2009 : 12:14:28
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| Excellent article! |
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Adriana
Persistent Visitor
1430 Posts |
Posted - 12 October 2009 : 06:27:12
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The secret to survival is a well developed sense of the ridiculous. |
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Jan
Symi Visitor
United Kingdom
144 Posts |
Posted - 12 October 2009 : 09:07:29
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| And clever David to get part of his holiday paid for. We laughed at himn for keeping the **** Blackberry active but a self-employed newspaper man never switches off, even on Symi. |
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Kojak
Inveterate Visitor
United Kingdom
2419 Posts |
Posted - 12 October 2009 : 09:21:58
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I find that rather worrying, considering the err... times I've had too much err... tea  |
Who loves ya baby! |
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benedetti
Super Visitor
473 Posts |
Posted - 12 October 2009 : 20:24:38
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| In this house we are not allowed to read the Times as Wee Jimmy says we will go blind or develope that terrible Murdochitis which is more terrible than any affliction you can think of. I am therefore grateful to have a wee peek at what it is all about. Some parts of the article I could relate to but i fear it does Symi a diservice in that it would seem to attract the yaght crowd or those who have a few more bawbees than the rest of us. Not an exellent summery of the island in my opinion. |
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snapperjon
Symi Visitor
United Kingdom
191 Posts |
Posted - 12 October 2009 : 20:55:34
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Murdoch losses are running at around £1,000,000 per week at the moment. So every time you buy a copy of The Times, it costs him money.
Personally I'm please to see anything that helps the Symi economy.
Quite a balanced and helpful piece, I thought. |
we are such stuff as dreams are made on... |
Edited by - snapperjon on 12 October 2009 20:56:07 |
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benedetti
Super Visitor
473 Posts |
Posted - 13 October 2009 : 11:26:24
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LOL I just thought it concentrated on the yaghting elite and didnt entice the ordinary holiday maker to the island.quote:
Originally posted by snapperjon
Murdoch losses are running at around £1,000,000 per week at the moment. So every time you buy a copy of The Times, it costs him money.
Personally I'm please to see anything that helps the Symi economy.
Quite a balanced and helpful piece, I thought.
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Adriana
Persistent Visitor
1430 Posts |
Posted - 13 October 2009 : 11:34:50
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| Actually the cruising fraternity, as opposed to the all-inclusive gulets and mega yachts, are pretty good for local economies as they tend to spread their money around more. They are mini-households afloat and support supermarkets, chandlers, hardware stores, the fuel station, electricians, mechanics, clothes shops, housewares stores and the like as well as the tavernas and bars that regular visitors frequent. They also visit Symi out of season and provide the island with some much needed revenue during the winter months. For instance live-aboards who spend the stormy months sheltering in the Turkish bays often treat themselves to a visit to Symi to stock up on bacon and pork chops - good business for Symi's butchers! |
The secret to survival is a well developed sense of the ridiculous. |
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maziemoo
Persistent Visitor
United Kingdom
2248 Posts |
Posted - 13 October 2009 : 13:03:09
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quote:
Originally posted by benedetti
LOL I just thought it concentrated on the yaghting elite and didnt entice the ordinary holiday maker to the island.[quote][i]
I'm rather inclined to agree with you Benedetti.....I would have thought it important to encourage allcomers not just those who can afford the high life. |
Yesterday is experience, tomorrow is hope... today is getting from one to the other. |
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Kojak
Inveterate Visitor
United Kingdom
2419 Posts |
Posted - 13 October 2009 : 14:33:56
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| It's a question of balance, but Symi really needs both. I remember an article some years ago that suggested Symi should concentrate on the "Blue Chip" section of the market. I think that is a load of rubbish and a very narrowminded view from a "supposedly" expert opinion. "Blue chip" travellers can be notoriously fickle depending on what is, or is not an "in" place to visit. Yachts need to feel welcome but so do package or independent travellers. Greece needs to really take on board the increasing competition from Turkey, which is much cheaper and as easy to get to. Long haul and even cruise holidays are now within the reach of most people. The regulars like myself and most people who come on the SV Noticeboard will almost always return but it's not safe to feel complacent even about us. Symi is a beautiful, special island but it has to price itself to attract people. |
Who loves ya baby! |
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benedetti
Super Visitor
473 Posts |
Posted - 13 October 2009 : 15:45:54
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| For the first time this year we had to top up our spends quite frequently. I try not to think about the pennies on holiday but this is hard when you are a pensioner and living off your wee man. Come to think of it I rather enjoyed spending wee Jimmy's hard earned cash. It did seem a lot quieter than usual and although the boats were aplenty they did tend to dine and party on board which provided us with excellent entertainment. As Kojak says us regulars will always come back....where else would we go? |
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Adriana
Persistent Visitor
1430 Posts |
Posted - 14 October 2009 : 07:06:50
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Symi needs visitors at all levels and that includes catering to the needs of the July and August crowd, many of whom own properties here and are unlikely to take their holidays elsewhere, having made a pretty substantial investment in Symi. Just as Symi has June and September regulars, the island also has July and August ones and their requirements are different.  They come from Athens, Paris, Rome, Milan, Barcelona etc and expect up-market dining options to be available if they want them, just as they are happy to eat calamari and keftedes on the beach or stay in some nights and eat pasta and pesto. The fact that a sophisticated restaurant like Mylopetra has survived for at least 15 years in a small place like Symi says it all really. 
Ask any tourist business on the island, be it bar, taverna, restaurant, supermarket or souvenir shop and they will tell you that the first two weeks of August are the most crucial in the whole season - August is the month that pays the winter rent money (which is one of the reasons why the police turn a blind eye to the 'no loud music after midnight law' at that time. ) Symi cannot survive on just June and September regulars - the island needs the whole spectrum to avoid returning to the abandoned and impoverished place that it was in the post war and Junta years. The male population of Symi has no desire to return to the past where men had to spend years at sea in the Merchant Navy, sending remittances home to support their wives and mothers and I very much doubt that the women of Symi would want to go back to those days either.
Symi covers the whole gastronomic range from gyros to gourmet so all tastes and budgets are catered for, and that's the way it should be.
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The secret to survival is a well developed sense of the ridiculous. |
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benedetti
Super Visitor
473 Posts |
Posted - 14 October 2009 : 09:46:08
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sk any tourist business on the island, be it bar, taverna, restaurant, supermarket or souvenir shop and they will tell you that the first two weeks of August are the most crucial in the whole season - August is the month that pays the winter rent money (which is one of the reasons why the police turn a blind eye to the 'no loud music after midnight law' at that time.) Symi cannot survive on just June and September regulars -
I hope that the folks who have for the first time booked for August or July dont cancel LOL
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Adriana
Persistent Visitor
1430 Posts |
Posted - 14 October 2009 : 09:58:03
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That's why those who have a choice in when they can take their holidays come in June or September rather than in the high season months of July and August
For many countries however, Greece included, the official holiday period is August and people can't take their holidays at any other time. That is why the population of Symi swells to around 6000 people at that time, and that is not counting those who stay with friends and relations and don't appear on any lists.
I believe it is a great time to visit Athens as the city is deserted! |
The secret to survival is a well developed sense of the ridiculous. |
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benedetti
Super Visitor
473 Posts |
Posted - 14 October 2009 : 10:47:23
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| What a good idea Adriana. I shall put that on Wee Jimmy's to do list. |
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Symi feature in The Times
