Comments on: The theme park-ing of travel: German company buys entire Italian Village, American resort creates little USA in Mexico http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:54 -0700 hourly 1 By: Patrik Wahlström http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-19708 Patrik Wahlström Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:29:19 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-19708 Ciao I am really really sorry to hear this. Keep the multinationals out of the Tuscany tourism industry. Develop the agriturismo and stay with the small businesses. This is so sad. I have visited Castelfalfi at least six times. It actually was my happy place in the world until now. A place where I always dream of returning to when the rain and snow is blowing in Sweden. I even have a meter high large photo showing hole number 5 in my living room. It is the most deligtful golf course that really gives you a challenge and has been a gem with very few people using it and now TUI plan to make it into a German Disneyland for over 3000 simultaneous visitors? This is crazy! The place is now a true stress free santctuary where you feel relaxed the second you arrive. Just to pop out on the golf course knowing that you need no time reservation. The mere fact that there is only a little hut that only serves sandwiches at the golf course is great. Or entering the small pizzeria/Ristorante by the road an have a Pappardelle alla Cingiale that has a really great taste of boar and rosemary. Will that scale up to 500 servings a day? I don't think so. If german old people are slow enough not to be able to go around by themselves or travel in small gropus and enjoy Tuscany as it is, then stay at home. TUI could build a plastic castle in Köln and import some vine and make a Las Vegas like italian experience of it. I have visited GC Toscana as well which on a smaller scale is what this will turn into: an all german plastic experience with only the pasta as sign that you were actually in Tuscany. Need I say that one visit was enough? I hope that people boycott TUI, Fritidsresor and their other brands. Creating something in an empty desert like the resorts in Egypt is one thing, raping a fully functional small village is an completely different thing. Vet hut! Ciao
I am really really sorry to hear this. Keep the multinationals out of the Tuscany tourism industry. Develop the agriturismo and stay with the small businesses.

This is so sad. I have visited Castelfalfi at least six times. It actually was my happy place in the world until now. A place where I always dream of returning to when the rain and snow is blowing in Sweden.

I even have a meter high large photo showing hole number 5 in my living room. It is the most deligtful golf course that really gives you a challenge and has been a gem with very few people using it and now TUI plan to make it into a German Disneyland for over 3000 simultaneous visitors? This is crazy!

The place is now a true stress free santctuary where you feel relaxed the second you arrive. Just to pop out on the golf course knowing that you need no time reservation. The mere fact that there is only a little hut that only serves sandwiches at
the golf course is great. Or entering the small pizzeria/Ristorante by the road an have a Pappardelle alla Cingiale that has a really great taste of boar and rosemary. Will that scale up to 500 servings a day? I don’t think so.

If german old people are slow enough not to be able to go around by themselves or travel in small gropus and enjoy Tuscany as it is, then stay at home. TUI could build a plastic castle in Köln and import some vine and make a Las Vegas like italian experience of it.

I have visited GC Toscana as well which on a smaller scale is what this will turn into: an all german plastic experience with only the pasta as sign that you were actually in Tuscany. Need I say that one visit was enough?

I hope that people boycott TUI, Fritidsresor and their other brands. Creating something in an empty desert like the resorts in Egypt is one thing, raping a fully functional small village is an completely different thing.

Vet hut!

]]> By: Kevin Wojo http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-14919 Kevin Wojo Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:31:14 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-14919 The comment Alex Zozaya made addresses a basic concept about the brand recognition of products used at the resorts being distinctly American. If you're primary target market is American then this is sensible. To assume that there are no Mexican foods, drinks, brands, etc... in the Mexico resorts is presumptuous. Offering American brands and giving your primary market a comfort level and a feeling of "being at your home away from home" is also sensible. Is it not a wonderful thing when you're a parent and your child wakes up to find cereal that they recognize. Happy children...happy parents, no? This comment made by Mr. Zozaya does not reference the style, flavour, design, and concept of the resort experience and it is pretentious to say the resorts do not reflect the culture of the people and country they are in. A little research will show clearly that all of the AMResorts properties reflect the distinct flavour of each locale. Local flavour is the essence of each resort along with excellent service standards.....sounds pretty good. The comment Alex Zozaya made addresses a basic concept about the brand recognition of products used at the resorts being distinctly American. If you’re primary target market is American then this is sensible.
To assume that there are no Mexican foods, drinks, brands, etc… in the Mexico resorts is presumptuous. Offering American brands and giving your primary market a comfort level and a feeling of “being at your home away from home” is also sensible. Is it not a wonderful thing when you’re a parent and your child wakes up to find cereal that they recognize. Happy children…happy parents, no?
This comment made by Mr. Zozaya does not reference the style, flavour, design, and concept of the resort experience and it is pretentious to say the resorts do not reflect the culture of the people and country they are in. A little research will show clearly that all of the AMResorts properties reflect the distinct flavour of each locale.

Local flavour is the essence of each resort along with excellent service standards…..sounds pretty good.

]]> By: Europe A La Carte Blog » Blog Archive » Tuscany a la Deutsch http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-14870 Europe A La Carte Blog » Blog Archive » Tuscany a la Deutsch Wed, 30 May 2007 07:44:37 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/05/29/the-theme-park-ing-of-travel-german-company-buys-entire-italian-village-american-resort-creates-little-usa-in-mexico/#comment-14870 [...] holiday company TUI has paid 250 million euro to purchase the crumbling medieval Tuscan village of Tenuta de Castelfalfi.  TUi plan to transform the village to offer “an authentic rural experience” for [...] [...] holiday company TUI has paid 250 million euro to purchase the crumbling medieval Tuscan village of Tenuta de Castelfalfi.  TUi plan to transform the village to offer “an authentic rural experience” for [...]

]]>