The Ministry of Development of Greece has declared war on speculators. However, its capabilities in this war are more than modest – officials cannot order a ban on raising prices, because the economy in Greece is market-based, and therefore they try at least to appeal to the conscience of traders. And to frighten fraudsters. Police officers and representatives of other agencies have been tasked with monitoring prices in shops, restaurants, kiosks, especially those located in areas with large numbers of tourists. If prices are deemed unjustifiably inflated, certain sanctions may be applied against traders, such as a warning. If it is established that traders were directly deceiving customers, the punishment may be more severe, up to revocation of the trading license and imprisonment.
But the main task of the Ministry of Development is to inform guests arriving in the country about what normal Greek prices are. It is expected that, having learned how much, say, a cup of coffee should cost, tourists will unanimously refuse to buy it where they are charged three times more. As a result, greedy traders will simply be forced to lower prices. The idea is, on the whole, quite naive, but it may still bring some benefit.
So, if you are planning to go to Greece in the near future, then upon arrival be sure to get a brochure issued by the Ministry of Development, which gives approximate prices for the most popular goods and services, including transport costs, medical care, prices for food and drinks. True, there is no text in the brochure in Russian. However, we all studied foreign languages at school – and from the English, Greek, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese versions you will find something suitable. In addition, the authorities have decided to open a 24-hour hotline. By calling 1520 from anywhere in Greece, tourists will be able to get the information they need and quickly resolve any issues.
Especially since tourists are often simply deceived. “We had a tragic case on the island of Lemnos. For two pork chops, a couple of salads, fried potatoes and some drinks in a tavern, they demanded 150 euros,” said an employee of the consumer protection service at the Ministry of Development. “In the Athenian port of Piraeus, cases were recorded where a cup of Turkish coffee cost six euros. We urge not to succumb to such provocations and remember that coffee should cost one and a half, maximum two euros,” he added.
True, the Greek media have already reported that the ministry's ideas about the average price level in the country do not quite accurately reflect the real situation. For example, officials believe that the cold coffee “frappe” popular in Greece should be sold for no more than two euros. Meanwhile, in restaurants and bars its price reaches five euros. For freshly squeezed juice, officials recommend paying about 1.3 euros, while in most places it is sold for 4.5 euros.
Now, during the Games, ten thousand special “Olympic” taxis are operating in Greece. Of these, 8,500 serve guests of the Olympics in Athens, the rest ply the streets of other cities where competitions will be held – Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, Heraklion. The requirements for taxi drivers who wished to obtain “Olympic” status for their cars are quite strict. The car must be in excellent condition inside and out, be fully functional, and the air conditioning must work. A special sticker on the car serves as a certificate of an “Olympic” taxi.
These taxis have access to parking spaces at Olympic venues. In addition, their passengers pay an additional three euros for each trip, not counting the meter readings. And that is about another euro per kilometer.
As for trips on public city transport in Athens, they are free for holders of tickets to Olympic competitions. True, an Olympic ticket allows you to travel around Athens for free only on the day of the competition. On other days you have to pay – one trip on the metro costs 0.7 euros, on the tram – 0.6 euros, on bus and trolleybus – 0.45 euros.
Prices for accommodation in Greek hotels soared in the run-up to the Olympics. This led to thousands of unbooked places remaining in Athens hotels less than a month before the event. The head of the Hellenic Hotel Organization, Gerasimos Fokas, believes that this situation is explained not by a lack of demand, but by high prices in hotels. After all, for the period of the Olympics (August 13-29), most hotels raised prices for their services several times. For example, the cost of a single room in a three-star hotel, which in winter is 60-90 euros, rose to 300 euros or more during the Games.