A JEREZ councillor has told English tourists to stay home.

In an astonishing rant tourism councillor Juan Manuel Garcia Bermudez blasted the English who do “nothing apart from drink all day long”.

Bermudes, 53, also raged that he was only interested in tourism that “enriched the area”.

“We certainly don’t want the English who come over on their cheap flights and do nothing apart from drink all day long.”

The PSOE politician’s bewildering outburst will come as a blow to Andalucia tourist chiefs who have identified English tourism as crucial in overcoming the downturn.

“We certainly don’t want the English who come over on their cheap flights and do nothing apart from drink all day long,” criticised Bermudez.

“I want to make it clear that we only want tourism that will enrich the area.”

Bermudez had earlier been speaking about the need to further support local tourism so that “this economic motor can create jobs by 2011”.

The PSOE politician’s English wish could be granted after it emerged that pay talks between air traffic controllers and the Spanish airport authority broke down.

The failure to reach an agreement before March 31 – when the current pay deal expires – could throw the travel plans of Britons heading to Spain into chaos.

Spain is still recovering from a 16 per cent drop in tourism last year.

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58 COMMENTS

  1. Hmm…

    1. We don’t want English tourists.
    2. We don’t want English tourists who do nothing apart from drink all day long.

    These are two entirely different statements.

    This article needs more editing. Spain could do with ANY tourists, but I think Mr Bermudez is just trying to say that he does not want drunken yobs coming to Jerez, and I doubt anyone would disagree with that.

  2. Fred, so why doesn’t he simply say “we don’t want drunken yobs” instead of making a sweeping generalisation about his second biggest market for tourists?

    For a tourism chief you would expect him to think for a second before opening his mouth.

    Getting pissed is not the preserve of the English. You should see what happens at the average botellon in the average Andaluz town on a Friday/Saturday night. You would be shocked.

  3. I think Mr Bermudes was perhaps ‘lost in translation’. If he really said “The English do nothing apart from drink all day long” then yes, it would be a sweeping statement, but I am not sure he ever said that. Did he say that, that’s the issue?

    The headline of this article is friction-causing. It’s like saying “The Olive Press is poor” and then omitting the rest of the sentence “at contructing proper headlines”. One is sweeping; one is not.

  4. This link translates via Google (i.e. not very good) as “Not like the English, to which the flight costs them practically nothing and are dedicated to drinking alcohol every weekend in places.”

    I think what Mt Bermudes means is that he does not want English drinking tourists who _only_ come for cheap booze, and that has been lost in the translation. I doubt if he wanted to exclude a whole country, especially if he works for the tourist board. Perhaps the OP should contact him for clarification and then print what he means?

    I think his inclusion of a specific country to be a mistake however, since it associates a drinking issue specifically with the English. If he was talking about Fuengirola, maybe lol.

  5. Translate via Google! ROFL. Are you serious Fred? Do you even live in spain??
    I bet you are one of those expats who rants against all “the bloody foreigners living in the UK that don’t speak english”.
    Juan Manuel García Bermúdez says “No como LOS ingleses, a los que el vuelo no les cuesta prácticamente nada y se dedican a beber alcohol todo el fin de semana en algunos lugares.” The context is “I dont want THE English, those who come on cheap flights and spend the whole weekend drinking in some places”.
    What he wants is tourists who arrive in spain with Iberia or BA. And its the English who have the cheap flight market, not the Scandinavians, Dutch, Germans or anyone else.

  6. Calm down Ivan. Thanks for clarifying, since my original answer is now reinforced :) Mr Bermudes says exactly what I thought he said, namely he does not want English people (wait for it…) who spend the whole weekend drinking. The OPs statement “We don’t want English tourists” is not qualified by the rest of the sentence.

    Btw, the proper acronym is ROTFL, not ROFL. Thanks Ivan.

  7. Fred, if you read the article properly (the one Justin has sent over in Spanish) he clearly picks on the English… in the same way Zapatero now claims Spain’s economic problems are to do with the Anglo Saxon media! And nothing to do with his country’s lapse laws, overbuilding and environmental abuse!

  8. Fred, i agree entirely with you (for once). Everyone here seems to be putting this all out of proportion, without getting all their facts toghether. Justin: please, let me know where all these botellonas are, i haven’t seen one in years, what with their being ilegal and being moved to outer mongolia where the kids don’t want to go. Jon, while i respect your journalistic knowledge nd “nose” for a good story (like your paper being the only REAL paper on the coast, very subtle), it’s a cheap-shot becoming one more of the Mob in spanish journalist circles and blaming “Zapatero” for everything. ‘Twas the PP whom decided that to become someone important you had to own property; if anything, there has been a reduction in construction during Zapatero’s government. And if you don’t like it, piss-off back to where you all came from and let us who actually LIKE living here get on with it: the less expats in “expat ghettos” the better!

  9. Fred, if there are no comments on an article you will disagree with the article, if there is a comment already you will disagree with the comment. It’s obvious you are not a spanish speaker and that you have waaaay too much time on your hands.
    Btw ROFL is correct too, but then you are very disagreeable.

  10. everybody calm down,i took the actual full spanish version to our local library, and the olive press is right to the letter. the spanish lady who read it was in shock and showed it to members where she works, after all as she explained jerez has countless sherry outlets which are famous all over the world, and the british are the no1 buyers, im actually italian. mr bermudez perhaps should have chosen his words a bit more carefully as in these times when things are bad all the cafes and bars need the trade, it doesnt matter what nationality the clients are, just look how many golf courses are empty, spain has many problems and will be the last out of reccession ,with 20,000 unsold homes in malaga all due to the corruption, with foreign buyers frightend to purchase them,i hope this clears up some points ,another fact is the olive press is a good paper, we were about to pay a very large deposit to a firm, which if not for a story the olive press printed we would have lost us our home,thanks to all

  11. Unless Mr Bermudes clarifies, none of us are going to know definitively what he meant. As I said at the beginning of the thread, he should not have mentioned any nationality because it is just accusation by insinuation. His comments can be read in lots of different ways, as this thread proves.

    Anyway, it’s no surprise to me. The Spanish people are secretly overjoyed that so many expats are leaving the country. Do you really think they like expats? I do so laugh when people say they are “integrating” in Spain.

  12. Er Guiri, keep an eye out for them, that’s the botellones (not botellonas), especially as the rain stops and it warms up a bit. They are very much alive and happening and not always at the “official” botellodromos.

  13. I was following this story and only a few days ago Mr Bermúdez was on Spanish national radio talking about all the information they had from last years tourists. Of the 200,000 tourists that passed through the tourism offices in Jerez and left details, get this 150,000 said the main reason for their visit was for the Bodegas or sherry.

  14. Justin R, you seem to have taken me for someone who has just got off the ‘plane, so let me enlighten you somewhat: “botellones” is misspelled, as this means rather large bottles (plural). “Botellona” or “botellon” to be precise, is a get toghether of young spanish people in a public area, maybe the street in front of your house, or a plaza, to drink strong spirit, usually dark rum or vodka, maybe a litre of cruzcampo (or if they’re clever, San Miguel cos of the screwtop), from plastic tubo cups, and then once sufficiently plastered will go off and gatecrash a club/disco somewhere and not feel the need to pay extortionate prices for MORE drinks. By doing this, many find no need to get drugged up to the eyeballs in the lavatories of said clubs to have a good time, as they have drunk more than enough earlier in the evening. Look, you’re talking to a guy who studied at Malaga University: we could get 3500 kids in the Plaza de la Merced in Malaga on a Saturday night!! Don’t talk to me as if you have any idea what a botellona is (or was) because the little piss-ups now are NOTHING compared to what they once were: the last great form of rebellion against the System (and adults)

  15. “Botellón is also used to refer to a drinking pack consisting of an alcoholic drink bottle, soft drink and ice. It is also known as botelleo, botellona, or botelloneo.” From Wikipedia. So you are both right on this one at least!

  16. Thanks Sarita and just to clarify Er Guiri: I know what a botellon is and I was talking about them in the plural as in un botellon, muchos botellones… Forgive me but “botellona” is not used much where I live and people tend to refer to it as “botellon”.

  17. @IVAN: Don’t base your argument around the fact that in Spanish he says ‘LOS ingleses’. That’s just correct Spanish grammar. In Spanish you always use the definite article when referring to a group of people. EG. ‘Los jovenes hoy en día les gusta mucho bailar’. Even though literally translated it would says “THE young people today like to dance”, it refers to young people in general.
    @ER_GUIRI: ‘Saturday nights at the Plaza de la Merced’. That brings back some good memories. As for the “botellones”, every Saturday night there’s a botellón en Coín at the Mirador on the road out to Las Delicias and Marbella-Cártama. It’s not far away from the Guardia Civil either! Not my scene though… not very good with alcohol :)
    Any type of sweeping statement is wrong. I agree with Juan Manuel in that he doesn’t want drunken yobs vandalising his city (England seems to be a world leader in providing those) but he should have said that and not tarred us all with the same brush. Before anybody takes offense at my comments, I am both Spanish and English nationality so I’m looking at this from both cultural viewpoints.
    Finally, the fact that this article has provoked such a funny heated debate just goes to show the quality of the “Olive Press”!

  18. I think the Irish, Scots and Welsh will feel realy left out, they can get pissed just as well as any English man.
    A stupid racist comment from a stupid man. There seems to be no shortage of the type in any nation. Is Juan Manuel in the right occupation? He obviously dislikes the English. Well understandable, we would be perfect if we were just a bit more humble – so I guess it does get up the nose of those that look up to the dizzy hieghts of civalization that we have achieved.
    I say Viva La Spañia – what a marvelous song says it all.

  19. I have just come across this article. I would love to say I am shocked at Bermudes’ comments however I have found this a typical view of English tourists. I am a final year student of Spanish and I lived and worked in Jerez last year as an English teacher. I had the time of my life in a small town and made lots of friends, and I return to Jerez often, but unfortunately there are Spanish people who still bare the same opinion of the English, even other teachers who I worked with! Bermudes has generalised the English people despite the fact that young people like me have worked in their schools to help their children with their education. Bermudes portrays a very closed minded view without thought or reason! Jerez is a small place, and despite living on the main street and spending most of my evenings with friends eating and going to bars I rarely came across overtly drunken English people!! I think he needs to spend more time in his community to make such generalistaions.

  20. An english taxi driver told us that of all the years he had lived in spain, he had came across only one incidnt of a foul mouth, agressive drunk edging for a fight wait for it, it was him. At least he was honest!

  21. According to a massive survey by the EU (how they love to waste money much better they spent it on drink) We English are not the biggest bunch of binge drinkers. In 1st place, The Irish, followed by the Romanians, Germans and in 4th place Austrians.

    So get down the local bar and get it down your neck and get our rightful place back! – mines a large G&T

  22. THE ENGLISH ARE THE WORST TOURISTS IN THE WORLD,CHECK IT OUT ON GOOGLE “ENGLISH DISEASE” .IGNORANT, LOUD MOUTH, BALD HEADED TATTOOED PLONKERS. KEEP YOUR MONEY.JEREZ DOES NOT NEED IT. STAY ON THE COAST WHERE YOU BELONG. “VIVA” ESPANA” …

  23. Almost as nasty as racists, as you have just defined yourself. You should travel a bit and you will realize all sorts of people come from all sorts of places. However, your comments make me realize you are to stupid for that kind of rational thinking.

  24. THE RACISTS ARE THE BALD HEADED UNION JACK WAVING TATTOOED IDIOTS, THAT ARE IN AN OTHER COUNTRY . I KNOW I HAVE SEEN THIS WHITE TRASH ALL OVER THE WORLD p.s WE EVEN WON THE WORLD CUP,TENNIS, AND THE CYCLING…….WHO IS THE STUPID ONE NOW? GET YOURSELF TO BENIDORM FOR AN ALL DAY ENGLISH BREAKFAST AND A PINT OF RED BARREL ,STICKY VICKYS ON TONIGHT AND THEY HAVE A FRONT SEAT FOR YOU, THEN YOU CAN GET A GOOD LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE .RULE BRITANNIA AMIGO !!!!

  25. You don’t understand, well with the comments you are making, what should I expect. You are seeing the actions of a few unpleasant British people ( I am English and do not like this behaviour and I live near Jerez) and you assume that all people from the UK are like that. That is racism. There again I will not try and have a rational argument with you, as that, by definition of your posts would be impossible. I suggest that you seek help as soon as possible before your twisted views destroy your life and cause harm to others. I hope you get better soon.

  26. ALL THE ENGLISH EVER DO IS MAKE RACIST REMARK AFTER RACIST REMARK…LETS BE SENSIBLE, ITS SPAIN YOU LIVE IN,YOU HAVE GOT TO ACCEPT THAT. THE VIEWS THAT ARE MADE IN THIS ONE COLUMN,PLASTIC CHAIRS,BAD SERVICE,18TH CENTURY TOILETS,DRIVING ON AND ON AND ON…..ITS NOT YOUR COUNTRY !!!!!EVERY PLANE EVERY ENGLISH BAR/RESTAURANT THERE THEY ARE. NOT A FEW,THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM WITH UNION JACK SHORTS,TEE SHIRTS.WE KNOW THERE ARE THE DECENT INTEGRATED FOREIGNERS, YOU WOULD BE A RACIST TO THINK OTHERWISE,THEY STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THIS SCUM AS POSSIBLE,TWISTED,SICK, IRRATIONAL,STUPID,NASTY THESE ARE ALL WORDS YOU HAVE ASCRIBED TO MYSELF STEVE,YOU KNOW AS WELL AS ME WHAT IS GOING ON… NEXT TIME YOU ARE IN MALAGA AIRPORT OR FUNGEROLA OR ANYWHERE SIMILAR YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF THINKING “HE WAS RIGHT”,THEY DON’T EVEN DESERVE TO BE LET OUT OF U.K.THIS IS WHAT THE MAYOR OF JEREZ IS UPSET ABOUT.BABLON IS BURNING BROTHER.

  27. FOOL, FOOL, FOOL. OH DEAR FRED HAVE YOU GOT A LIFE ?? ITS TOO HOT FOR SOCKS,BUT I BET YOU WEAR THEM WITH SANDALS, DON’T YOU….ENGLAND AWAITS YOUR RETURN,BEST YOU GET BACK TO THE “BROKEBACK COALITION” WHERE YOU BELONG.BY THE WAY ITS FLAMENCO NOT FLAMINGO.”THESE FOOLISH THINGS REMIND ME OF YOU, AND ALL YOU RACIST FOREIGNERS..”GET BACK JO JO” {OR FRED IN YOUR CASE}.

  28. “DADDY WOULD,NT BUY ME A BOW WOW” STEVE.YES I AM BARKING MAD,BUT YOU DON,T GET THE JOKE DO YOU MR COLE..ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH ARE SINKING INTO THE MIRE ,THAT ONCE GREAT NATION HAS TURNED INTO THE “ME ME” GENERATION.ON THE STREETS OF EVERY LARGE TOWN AND CITY AT THE WEEKEND IT IS PANDEMONIUM.BOUNCERS ON PUB DOORS,FIGHTING,OPEN USE OF DRUGS,PISSING IN DOORWAYS,VOMITING,AND EVEN FORNICATION IN PUBLIC.IN THE WORLD CUP THE ENGLISH WHERE MADE TO BRING THERE OWN POLICE.THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN COME TO SPAIN AND DO THE SAME.WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE BROTHER.I AM TRYING TO CONVINCE EVERYONE TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND YOU.AND BEHAVE!!!ALL YOU FRED,S AND STEVE,S WITH YOUR NASTY REMARKS ONLY GOES TO PROVE MY POINT. THE ONLY THING THAT BELONGS IN A RUBBER ROOM OR NEEDS HELP IS THIS SUPERCILIOUS ARROGANT MINORITY OF BRITISH PEOPLE.WHO ARE FINISHED AS A NATION.GET THE JOKE NOW…NOT FUNNY IS IT!!!!!!

  29. Yes, I have a life thanks and it’s *seriously* better than yours lol. What you don’t realise is that all of the things you describe are carried out by all similar nationalties; you make the classic ill-educated and predudiced mistake of attributing bad behaviour to a particular race.

    When I was out for an evening meal in Madrid recently I could not believe the bad behaviour by drunken Spanish youths. The city was a mess of litter, graffiti and other detrius, just like London – all big cities are the same. Your rantings prove that you don’t get out enough and probably sit reading the Daily Mail too much. Are you voting BNP again this year Nick?

    PS. just for the record I vote Green at all elections and no I don’t wear socks in my sandals. I also don’t judge people by their tatoos; my best friend has dozens of tatoos and is a professor and research fellow. You are out of your depth, go and read your red tops and be a good little boy now.

  30. FREDDY.YOU POOR LITTLE SAD MAN,WITH THESE SILLY INSULTS PRESCRIBING TO ME WHAT I THINK, AND WHAT I BELIEVE.YOU JUST DON’T GET IT.THE SPANISH ARE LEAPS AND BOUNDS AHEAD OF THE BRITISH,WITH THERE LOVE OF FAMILY,COUNTRY AND CULTURE.YOUR RACIST REMARKS ABOUT MADRID,”I HAVE A FRIEND WITH TATTOOS” YOU SOUND LIKE YOU NEVER LEFT THE PLAYGROUND.”I VOTE GREEN” SO WHAT…..!SPAIN IS ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRY’S IN THE WORLD,I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT KINDNESS FROM THE SPANISH,BUT FUNNY ENOUGH NOT THE ENGLISH.MY MAIN POINT BEING…IF YOU ARE GOING TO SIT IN JEREZ GETTING PISSED ON PLASTIC CHAIRS SHOUTING THE ODDS AND HOWLING LIKE MONKEYS,GET YOURSELF S BACK TO THE “COSTA” ZOO,S OR PREFERABLY STAY AT HOME..”GET THE PICTURE ? I BET YOU DO.BE KIND, BE GOOD, BUT MOST OF ALL BE HAPPY.PEACE MAN !

  31. Children are loved just as much by parents in any country of the world, and cultural events are carried out by all countries in the same way – you just have a very limited experience of the real World, probably from reading too much of the rubbish in the Daily Mail each day. Spain is not unique in its love for family and cultural traditions. There are also no “best” countries to live in.

    Racist remarks about Madrid? My, you really are a retarded troll aren’t you Nick?

    Btw, are you on drugs and is your keyboard BROKEN? I hope you find peace, you clearly do not have it now from the angry replies you make above. Just grow up, think, and post intelligently, otherwise you are only making yourself look like a bigger fool.

  32. Mr Scholfield, I have shown your posts to my Spanish neighbors, I am the only Englishman on my street, they wondered where you were from? They think you sound demented and hoped that you are not Spanish. I said, looking at your name, that you could be British. My friends think that these posts must be the effect of to much sun on an empty head. Your judgments prove you to be a fool so there is really no point in talking to you any longer as rational argument requires a rational mind, you are obviously out of your stupid little mind.

  33. “LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF BORE” {WAR}, STEVE BABY AND FREDDY ..CALM DOWN IT,S ONLY POST. I ASKED YOU TO REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL INSULTS BUT YOU HAVE “LET LOOSE”…SURELY YOU MUST REALIZE BY NOW HOW YOU PAIR OF MISCREANTS MUST LOOK ON THE INTERNET. I LOVE SPAIN AND THE GREAT SPANISH PEOPLE….WHAT I DON’T LIKE ARE ENGLISH BIGOTS.THE WORLD IS NOT THE SAME.JUST MADE WORSE BY PEOPLE SPOUTING OFF ABOUT SOMETHING THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT,LEARN TO SPEAK FROM A POSITION OF KNOWLEDGE AS MY GREAT FRIEND TAM DAYELL ONCE SAID OVER THATCHER,S MURDER IN THE FALKLANDS OR PROPERLY LAS MAVENAS BYE FOR NOW..GOT TO TATOO B.N.P. ON MY FOREHEAD ,WHILE READING THE DAILY MAIL IN MY RUBBER ROOM . REMEMBER PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. {THIS HAS BEEN PART OF THE DRINK AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR BRITISH RACISTS.}

  34. Welcome back Fred! Good to see that you are still fighting the cause. Were you in Madrid when we won “La Copa”? I bet the atmosphere was electric. Here in Alhaurín and Coín it was amazing.
    By the way, I’m still waiting for that cup of tea you promised and you getting your mugshot on here!

  35. I am calm Nick, I don’t SHOUT in my emails. Steve makes a very good point about trying to hold a discussion with irrational people; I think we can all safely conclude that Nick is not in the sphere of rational thought lol.

    Chris, I’ll pass on the mugshot I think, I mean with all these wierd people around these days and ID theft etc. Nick might even start stalking me… Too hot for tea. I am on my second tanque as I type.

  36. Nick, I don’t think the Falkland Islanders, you know the people who have lived on the Falklands for generation, would take kindly to your assertion that the islands should be known “more properly” as the “Mavenas”. In Spanish they’re known as Las Malvinas, in much the same way Firenze is known as Florence in English but that does not mean they should be called the Malvinas. Whatever Tam Dayell did or did not say and whatever Thatcher did or did not do the bottom line is that Argentina invaded in the first place.

  37. “EVERYTHING STOPS FOR TEA”.SO DO I NOW…..IT IS PLAIN TO SEE HOW THE PEOPLE THAT WRITE HERE ARE SAD, UNEDUCATED, ILL INFORMED NOBODY’S.YOU DON’T GET THE JOKE…LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND LAUGH AT YOURSELF …JUST THE ONCE..

  38. Peoples names some times attach them selves to events like the word Boycott after Captain Boycott. From now on I will always think of insane ranting posts as Schofields. So Nick you have made an impression but not the one perhaps you had in mind.

  39. Schofield, do you live in a mental home. I did not read al of your drivel, gave up after a few lines.

    Of all the comments, I liked the one about plastic chairs, that hit the nail on the head. They want culture with their plastic chairs and the yhave this useless don’t care attitude service.

    A lot of the Spanish are arrogant, very racist and they have macho corrupt politicians. Carry on reaping what you sow. Spain is in a mess and the politicians are doing nothing to sort it out, they are only making it worse. Get rid of that Mr Bean Prime minister and get someone else in, they could not mess it up much more. I have some Spanish friends so there are about 5% that are OK.

  40. I lived in Spain for most of my teenage years and also frequently travel back to the house we still own there. Over the years I made many Spanish friends, many of whom did not like the ‘English’, and with good reason. Now when they talk about the ‘English’ they are talking about the likes of the yobs who go to Benidorm and other similar places who expect to not integrate with Spanish culture or even attempt to speak basic Spanish when in a bar, they are the people they hate. Can you blame them? Its a disgrace some of the English who go to Spain. They dont try eating Spanish cruisine and dont make any effort with the culture. Most Spanish love a good drink but not to the point where you cannot even stand up or are throwing up. Its those types of ‘people’ (if you can call them that), that they do not like and are what Bermudez is talking about. They make the effort to try to speak English in England and even to tourists in their own country. What efforts are made in the UK to accomodate tourists? The poople who have come into our country and want to live here and not speak a word of English they are like tourists in Spain, basicallt they shouldnt be there.

  41. Luke, I don’t like drunks who act aggressively and I find them very boring and I try to avoid them. I do like a drink myself. However, if you think we have some sort of monopoly on drunkenness I would say you need to travel a bit more. Being 64 I have and I can tell you there are a lot of nations where you will find extreme drunkenness. I guess the worst sort is the drunken racist, personally I find the drunks boring but racist intolerable. It is never a good idea to condemn a whole race of people because of the antics of a few.

  42. This article is nearly 4 years old. I think they’d welcome drunken British tourists these days. Shame that people remember a few British drunken louts over the vast majority of ‘normal’ tourists who are VITAL to Spain’s coastal economy.

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