Fury in stunning city as 'tourists pay more' for meals with locals having 'secret code'
In recent months, locals living in Lisbon have begun to campaign for changes to Tuk-Tuks and housing as the overtourism crisis intensifies
A European city popular with tourists has sparked outrage over revelations some restaurants may be charging visitors more for meals than residents.
Under the system, residents in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon are allegedly charged lower prices for their food than tourists in local eateries.
According to a report by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, the code for the lower prices is “transmitted verbally, in whispers or indicated on menus placed in inconspicuous or even hidden areas".
Industry experts have told the publication that basing prices on nationality is “completely illegal”.
Allegations of a two-tier pricing system come as protests in relation to overtourism continue to blight European countries, most notably Spain and Portugal.
Earlier this year, residents of Lisbon took more obvious action against overtourism by expressing how annoyed they were by Tuk-Tuks.
These three-wheeled machines are commonly used by tourist companies to ferry visitors around the city. While these vehicles are small, they have been accused of “clogging up the streets”.
Speaking to EuroNews, 78-year-old Rosa Alves said the machines – which have also been spotted in Split, Croatia – appear at sunrise and disappear in the evening.
She said: “For the last five, six years this has become a mess. All over Graça, there has been a serious change for the worse.”
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Other residents of the city are complaining about the impact of tourists on housing with a fight brewing to hold a referendum in the city on apartments for tourists.
The group, known as the Housing Referendum Movement, has for the past few months been collecting signatures to present their referendum for the project to the council, something they have now achieved.
A member of the group, Diogo Guerra, says that locals have taken action because they can’t see “politicians applying measures” to handle the “touristification” of Lisbon.
The basis behind the referendum is down to the growing number of apartments being used solely for tourists which has seen prices rise and people forced out of the centre of the city.
Mr Guerra added that whilst tourism played a role the discontent was not down to a single factor. He explained: “We are perfectly aware that the crisis is not due to a single factor, among other things because there is a huge lack of housing construction.”
