Rome
CNN
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For those who have enjoyed all that this country has to offer, a vacation in Italy can be a rewarding experience. But the summer of 2023 will be remembered as the most expensive in history, following a series of price gouging scandals in cafes and restaurants that have affected foreign tourists and Italians alike.
Consider the example of a couple on Lake Como who charged €2 ($2.20) to cut a ham sandwich in half, or a young mother in the Roman seaside town of Ostia who charged €2 to heat a baby bottle in the microwave. Let’s.
Two tourists were charged €60 ($65) for two coffees and two small bottles of water at the Cervo Hotel in Sardinia, but the owner told CNN that the charges were clearly stated. He said most of the fees were for views of expensive yachts. nearby harbor.
Tourists were also charged €2 as an extra charge for emptying. – 10 cents for a sprinkling of cocoa on a cappuccino at a coffee bar on Lake Como, Plate near Portofino in northern Italy. Italian cafes rarely use cocoa in their cappuccinos, which justified the charge.
These incidents, dubbed “crazy receipts” by local media, were documented by the consumer protection group Consumerism No Profit, which reported a staggering 130% increase in prices in Italian tourist destinations this summer. there is
It’s not just restaurateurs that influence prices. High fuel and energy prices have made this summer incredibly expensive.
With prices spiraling out of control, including around 240% more expensive than other Mediterranean destinations, many Italians are abandoning their usual local destinations for their August holidays and instead head to coastal countries such as Albania and Montenegro. is designed to choose Italian charm and cuisine, but affordable.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also took a short beach vacation in Albania this year, the prime minister’s office confirmed.
The Concomercio organization predicts that only 14 million Italians will take the traditional Ferragosto holiday or vacation at home around August 15, about 1.5 million from pre-coronavirus figures. 30% decrease.
Julio Toruzzi of consumer watchdog Asoutenti said: “Very significant price increases in the air transport, accommodation and vacation package sectors have significantly changed the vacation habits of Italians.”
Mr Toruzzi added that while prices do not prevent Italians from vacationing, they do affect the length of stay.
“And what is paradoxical is that even though there are fewer holidays, spending will increase. Even though the 2023 summer vacation will see fewer overnight stays away from home, Italians will spend more in 2022. €1.2 billion more,” he said.
Foreign tourists have more than made up for the decline, with the Italian Ministry of Tourism predicting 68 million tourists will visit Italy this summer, more than 3 million more than the pre-pandemic figure, Tourists are the most likely targets for price gouging.
According to Italy’s tourism ministry, American and Asian tourists are coming in droves this year, and tend to spend more and stay longer, while high-spending Russian tourists are absent this year due to the war in Ukraine. It is said that it has been replaced by human tourists.
One of the worst offenders is beachfront establishments that rent sunbeds and umbrellas.
In Puglia, a day’s rental for two sunbeds and a parasol averages €50 on weekdays and nearly doubles on weekends, while farther north a front-row seat on a crowded beach costs In some cases, it starts at around 150 euros, which is three times as much. On weekdays he costs €163 (about $163) per day, especially in an upmarket area like Portofino. That is if the front row umbrellas are not already reserved by locals.
“Sharm El Sheikh” [in Egypt] Paolo Manca, head of the Federalberg Hotel Federation, explained that families would pay thousands of dollars a day to go to a traditional Italian holiday destination like Sardinia. Expensive ferries and flights, expensive hotel bills, and expensive meals.
Asked how much they paid for two Aperol Spritz at a cafe in central Rome’s Piazza Navona, Americans Betsy Kramer and James Kramer were embarrassed to admit how much they paid. . But they knew they would pay more to sit in a popular spot.
“We overpaid for gelato, spritz and hotel bills, but we knew it would pay off,” Betsy told CNN. “We had been planning this trip since before COVID-19 and had always dreamed of it, even after reading the headlines about the high prices.
“You just have to read the menu and ask if there are any extra charges. If there are, you should either leave the place or just eat.”
Higher prices may be impacting average tourists, but luxury tourists are on the rise this year, according to the Italian Ministry of Tourism, with booking records showing a record 11.7 million tourists this summer. travelers will stay in five-star hotels in Italy.
“Unlike normal tourism, luxury travel continues to rise in August,” said Antonio Coviello, a researcher at the Italian National Research Center, in a report on luxury travel released this week. He added that the risk of overtourism in the travel sector is even higher. There is concern as prices in the mid-range travel sector may increase to accommodate higher spenders.
Italy’s Minister of Tourism Daniela Sant’Anche said this summer was a defining moment for Italy’s post-pandemic recovery after a season marked by bad headlines such as price hikes and a decline in Italian travel.
“I wouldn’t call it a failure, but I wouldn’t call it a success either,” she said this week. “I think we can finally resume the discussion about tourism and plan our next move. In fact, this is the first year that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, so in a way he can call 2023 ‘Year Zero’. ”