Over the past year, 156 complaints have been received from foreign tourists about restaurants and bars. 'Of course, we must charge the maximum possible price,' said Iovino Renato, owner of a bar in Santa Croce, complaining about costly municipal projects and fines for using the sidewalk as a terrace. 'So I sell Coca-Cola for €4 a glass.'
The Italian financial police became interested in this state of affairs. Now the financial guard will check prices in randomly selected restaurants and compare them with cash receipts. However, the head of the Italian consumer protection society, Franco Conte, has already appealed to the Venice city council. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Conte admitted that these measures will not stop inflating prices for tourists: 'In the end, cunning owners will always find a way to add one euro here, two euros there.'
Authorities of other world capitals are also trying to combat extortion of foreigners. For example, Prague mayor Pavel Bem personally fought against fraudulent city taxi drivers. Disguised, Bem would get into a Prague taxi and start speaking Russian. As a result, the mayor was overcharged several times, not given a receipt, and once given incorrect change. By the way, after the campaign in the Czech capital, the number of tourists cheated in taxis halved.
Elena FEDOTOVA.
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