The pretty European country so fed up with tourists people are faking bedbug infestations
Fake bedbug infestation reports in Athens are allegedly being used to discourage tourists.
Residents in one pretty European country are so fed up with tourists that they've started faking bedbug infestations in a desperate bid to get rid of them. In the Greek capital, Athens, reports of fake bedbug infestations have reportedly been used as part of a campaign to drive away tourists.
These false warnings have been placed outside residential buildings in the city centre in an apparent effort to curb the number of apartments being converted into short-term holiday lets for tourists. It comes as Athenians are facing rising rents amid a housing crisis brought about in part by the rise in AirBnBs which have priced out locals.
In response to the situation, Greece's health ministry issued a statement on Tuesday denying the authenticity of the signs and emphatically stating that there is no bedbug problem. To reduce the misinformation, the ministry announced it was working with the police in Athens to combat the spread of these signs, some of which bear official logos.
Ministry refutes bed bug hoax in Athens’ Exarchia district https://t.co/vaRanczwjM pic.twitter.com/5gqa6x7ZNq
— Kathimerini English Edition (@ekathimerini) December 5, 2023
Greece has had no significant problems with the bloodsucking pests that have recently caused panic in France. Travellers in France shared photos and videos purportedly showing bedbugs on the Paris metro, high-speed trains, and at Charles de Gaulle airport.
Bedbugs, which were virtually extinct by the 1950s, have made a comeback in recent decades and have developed resistance to chemical treatments. These pests can live in mattresses, clothing, and luggage and emerge at night to feed on human blood.
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Poorly translated into English, the signs state that health authorities have ordered the evacuation of visitors to protect Greek residents.
These signs allege the discovery bedbugs and warn visitors that noncompliance will result in a €500 (or £429) fine. They end, ironically, by wishing tourists a pleasant stay in Greece.