Tourists are furious after it was revealed that restaurants in a beautiful European city may be charging visitors more for meals than locals.
Portuguese newspaper Expresso claims that residents of Lisbon are given the code for lower prices “verbally, in whispers or indicated on menus placed in inconspicuous or even hidden areas”.
Industry insiders have told the paper that pricing based on nationality is “completely illegal”.
The allegations of a two-tier pricing system come amid ongoing protests related to over-tourism plaguing European countries, particularly Spain and Portugal.
Earlier this year, Lisbon locals took a more direct approach against overtourism by expressing their frustration with Tuk-Tuks.
These three-wheeled vehicles, often used by tourist companies to transport visitors around the city, have been accused of “clogging up the streets”.
Speaking to EuroNews, 78-year-old Rosa Alves said the machines appear at sunrise and vanish in the evening.
She stated: “For the last five, six years this has become a mess. All over Graca, there has been a serious change for the worse.”
Residents in the city are up in arms over the impact tourists are having on their housing situation, with a storm brewing as they push for a referendum to decide the fate of tourist apartments.
The Housing Referendum Movement has been busy gathering signatures for months, and they’ve finally got enough to take their case for a vote to the council.
Diogo Guerra, a member of the movement, expressed frustration at the lack of action from politicians to address the “touristification” of Lisbon, prompting locals to step up.
The referendum is driven by concerns over the increasing number of apartments being snapped up for tourist use, which is driving up prices and pushing residents out of the city centre.
Mr Guerra pointed out that while tourism is a factor, the unhappiness isn’t just about that. He clarified: “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.”
