I Fancy Dubrovnik, What About You?

The man on the left is Antonio Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry.

He's my pal, or I thought he was until I had a chat with a friend. More about that later.

Owing to Mr Tajani efforts, Brussels has declared that tourism is a human right and pensioners, youths and those too poor to afford it should have their travel subsidised by the taxpayer.

Under the scheme, British pensioners could be given cut-price trips to Spain, while Greek teenagers could be taken around disused mills in Manchester to experience the cultural diversity of Europe.

In the initial phase, northern Europeans will be encouraged to visit southern Europe and vice versa. Details of how participants are chosen have not yet been finalised, but it is expected the EU will subsidise about 30% of the cost.

The idea is based on a project in Spain in which holidays in the winter off-season are subsidised by the government for European residents aged 55 and over. Spain calculated that for every €1 it spent in subsidies, €1.6 was gained for its resorts.

When I mentioned to a friend I was writing this post, he said the idea wasn't new. It had been policy in Hitler's government. He was right and I thank him for his tireless efforts to keep me motivated (you know who you are).

I'll quote a wee bit from one document although there are others.

Strength through Joy

The Strength through Joy organisation was set up to encourage workers to work as hard

as they could for Germany and the Nazis. The offer of cheap holidays and a car were

good ways to win the support of the average person in the street. A cruise to the Canary

Islands cost 62 marks - easily affordable to many, though most cruises were taken up by

Nazi Party officials. Walking and skiing holidays in the Bavarian Alps cost 28 marks. A

two-week tour of Italy cost 155 marks. Ley ordered the building of two new cruise-liners

that were used to take German workers on foreign holidays. In 1938 an estimated

180,000 people went on cruises to places such as Madeira and the Norwegian fjords.

Others were given free holidays in Germany. The Strength through Joy programme also

built sports facilities, paid for theatre visits and financially supported travelling cabaret

groups. Although the German worker paid for these benefits through compulsory

deductions, the image of people being given holidays and subsidized entertainment was

of great propaganda value to the Nazi government.

Another wonderful benefit of the European Union.

Here's another one for you - courtesy of the Westminster government.

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