Drunken British tourists cause chaos and scandal in Greece

Scandalous and disruptive behaviour on the part of an increasing number of drunken Brits in continental Europe is damaging the United Kingdom’s reputation abroad. From rowdy stag weekends in Budapest, Berlin and Prague, to drunken brawls in Greece, as well as cross-dressing and public nudity, some British tourists are making a less than positive first impression when on holidays in foreign lands. A recent incident in Crete has made headlines throughout the world. The news story focused on the words of the mayor of Malia, a town in Crete. Konstantinos Lagoudakis explained to journalists how it was exceptionally easy to spot British tourists and differentiate them from other European nationals. “They scream, they sing, they fall down, they take their clothes off, they cross-dress, they vomit,” Lagoudakis said of the out-of-control Brits who continue to wreck havoc in his town. The mayor also pointed out that the French and Germans never seem to act in such a totally reckless manner.

The mayor called on the British government to intervene and finally “do something” about their out-of-control, brawling young citizens, many of whom buy up cheap vacation packages to resorts in Greece, Portugal and Spain, where alcohol remains relatively inexpensive. Yet rowdy Brits are causing scandal much further away than Greece. The media recently reported at length about how a British couple was caught having sexual intercourse on a public, popular beach in Dubai earlier this summer and then proceeded to verbally abuse a police officer who demanded them to stop engaging in inappropriate behaviour. The Brits in question were later arrested by authorities in Dubai and now face charges.

Thank you to Sarah Lyall of the New York Times for the initial report and the direct quotes.