Greek tour operators blackmail serbian colleagues

[Risto the Great]

Sorry everyone, Macedonia (like the rest of the Balkans ... Greece included) is full of peasants in the tourism & hospitality industries. They have no idea what they want much less what they need to do to get it.

[Prolet]

Buktop, If you ever go to Croatia and sit in a restaurant after you have your meal you will feel like a cheap skate if you dont give the Konobar a tip, the Service there is top class and their food is no way near as good as ours (Im talking about the taste) you walk into a Super Market and three people will say Dobar Den to you unlike in Stari Kraj where they'll look at you like an intruder if they've never seen you before.

I can say Ohrid is somewhat better then it was say 5 years ago but still the European Standard is not good enough and the Ohrigjani themselves are to blame for that. Keep in mind that people can now go wherever they like in Europe for a holiday so the question we need to ask is Why Ohrid and not Palma De Mallorca or the French Riviera,Adriatic Coast etc etc Im talking about the Macedonian people here not those who come from the Diaspora because 70% of the tourists in Ohrid are people from around Macedonia.

[Bill77]

What is all this baging of Ohrid or the Macedonias in general.

At least you can walk down the streets with out getting bottled over the head or a knife in the back unlike here in Aus and i am sure its worse in US. I give a shit if some don't smile or financialy you get ripped a few denari in Macedonia. If you are a zaspan you deserve it. Don't blame them for trying. The amount you get ripped in Macedonia is peanuts compared to what hapens here in Australia.

Don't get me started with the drama's i had in Greece. I could not wait to get back to civilised Macedonia.

[Buktop]

Buktop, If you ever go to Croatia and sit in a restaurant after you have your meal you will feel like a cheap skate if you dont give the Konobar a tip, the Service there is top class and their food is no way near as good as ours (Im talking about the taste) you walk into a Super Market and three people will say Dobar Den to you unlike in Stari Kraj where they'll look at you like an intruder if they've never seen you before.

I can say Ohrid is somewhat better then it was say 5 years ago but still the European Standard is not good enough and the Ohrigjani themselves are to blame for that. Keep in mind that people can now go wherever they like in Europe for a holiday so the question we need to ask is Why Ohrid and not Palma De Mallorca or the French Riviera,Adriatic Coast etc etc Im talking about the Macedonian people here not those who come from the Diaspora because 70% of the tourists in Ohrid are people from around Macedonia.

Prolet, What do you think about the lack of regulation in the tourist industry in Macedonia?

[Buktop]

What is all this baging of Ohrid or the Macedonias in general.

At least you can walk down the streets with out getting bottled over the head or a knife in the back unlike here in Aus and i am sure its worse in US. I give a shit if some don't smile or financialy you get ripped a few denari in Macedonia. If you are a zaspan you deserve it. Don't blame them for trying. The amount you get ripped in Macedonia is peanuts compared to what hapens here in Australia.

Don't get me started with the drama's i had in Greece. I could not wait to get back to civilised Macedonia.

Completely agree Bill

[Prolet]

Buktop, The regulations are there the problem is that they are not enforced properly however you need to put in alot of effort in that. Im just saying that now the people have a choice and if they dont get the adequate service they are entitled to go elsewhere. The Tourism Association and the City of Ohrid need to get their act together thats for sure.

Bill, Perhaps you could share your past experiences and how you managed to cope with it all. I thought the Service in Greece is pretty good especially now after the tough measures they imposed, just dont drive there as petrol has jumped to 1.50c euro per liter its almost twice as expensive as it is here. There are reports that the Greeks are filling up in Macedonia and Bulgaria

[Bill77]

Bill, Perhaps you could share your past experiences and how you managed to cope with it all. I thought the Service in Greece is pretty good especially now after the tough measures they imposed,

I'll start with your last comment first. The tough measures have been introduced very recently. What have you expierienced to come to the conclusion that sevice in Greece is especialy better now? i would argue every day living will be much worse. service will decline. crime, poverty will increase.

I found many places in Macedonia with pretty good service aswell including Ohrid. But now and then i did find below par service mainly during the most busy hours which is understandable. I often find poor service here in Australia, infact much more than in Macedonia. I found it atrocious service in Greece. I was on the streets in Solun with my wife and kids, looking for a Hospital. Each time i aproached a person on the streets for direction, they would rudely shoo us away like we were flies before i could get my first words in. Next option was fone an operator. She could not understand my english. I asked her Zborvash nashe. She replied OHI and hung up. she understood me to reply OHI.

I found it unbelievable that no one can speek English (no good for tourism).I am sure Many can but they refuse to. Many have an atitude were they believe, "you are in my country, the onus is on you to speak our Language" (again not good for tourism). I argued this with many Greeks in Australia that have the same atitude.

just dont drive there as petrol has jumped to 1.50c euro per liter its almost twice as expensive as it is here. There are reports that the Greeks are filling up in Macedonia and Bulgaria

And don't bye a dual fuel car. There are no LPG pumps there. None in Lerin, None in Voden only 1 in Solun but good luck in finding this servo. Tiny Bitola has two to pick from (come on Greece keep up with progress lol)

Also, if you are in a solun petral station, Don't waist your time asking for directions to Florina. Aparently, they have never heard of it. lol but true.

[Prolet]

Bill, What i found strange when i went there was the fact that when people talk to eachother they look like they are arguing and yelling at eachother. As for Australia at night time in cities like Melbourne,Sydney etc its not very safe, i guess you cant compare a city with millions of people to a city with 100,000 people or so there is a big difference thats for sure.