Ever been shortchanged, overcharged, or received less than you paid for while on vacation? Congratulations, you just paid the Tourist Tax.
Karen and I had just finished sharing a small lunch at a humble little place in Ancona, Italy. We split a small serving of Eggplant Parm, some sauteed greens, and a roasted tomato stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs.
I took the last swig of water from the bottle (no glass provided) and went inside to pay.
The woman behind the register asked the owner what we had ordered and rung it up. The number she said left me in shock. 72 Euro (Nearly $85) for this little lunch that would barely be enough for one person, let alone two!
My brain went into overdrive. Perhaps I had misheard her. After all, my Italian is barely at first grade level. So, I asked her to repeat herself.
“Settantadue,” she said confidently.
“Non, non, non,” I said. “Non è possibile.”
The cashier stared me down for a minute and then turned to the owner. They had an animated conversation about me, about the meal, and some numbers were thrown back and forth, a big show of the supposed confusion about our bill.
Finally, a conclusion was reached. “Trentasei.” (36)
I put my wallet back in my pocket and folded my arms. “No.”
More conversation between owner and employer. They are sure to make a big show of it for my benefit. Finally, the owner comes over to the register and tells me the cost will be twenty euros.
I nod, get my wallet and hand him a twenty euro note. No way am I letting this guy anywhere near my credit card number.
As I leave I hear the owner spit to his employee in disgust “Americano.”
As angry as I was for the attempt at ripping me off, I came to realize that I was at fault as well. We had arrived in town late and were hungry. So we stopped in the first decent place we could find and ordered from a menu with no prices. That’s always a red flag.
Had I asked, I’m sure our bill would’ve been reasonable from the jump.
But, that’s the way it goes with the tourist tax. You get marked as a tourist, someone who is vulnerable, and an unscrupulous person will pounce.
Another time, I was at a farmers market, getting some supplies to make dinner at our AirBnB. The vendor told me the total, twenty-two euros, and I gave them two twenties; forty euros. The vendor gave me eight euros in change and then started talking to another worker.
This time, I was prepared since I knew about this scam. The vendor expected me to walk away and presto, they pocket the ten euros I had “forgotten”. So, I waited for about a minute and the vendor got a ten note and gave it to me. Yes, I’m a tourist, but you’ll need to scam the next sucker.
In our city, there’s a Tourist Tax on drivers. Men hang around the street and wave drivers into parking spaces.
Of course, this is ridiculous as any driver can see an empty parking space on the street. But, these guys pretend like they’re providing a service and have their hand out when you exit the car.
People usually give them a couple coins for their “trouble.” However, I personally know people who have stiffed them and come back to find their car scratched or broken into.
The message is clear “Pay now or pay later.”
In this case, fifty cents seems like a reasonable price to keep your paint job intact.
So, when we rented a car on vacation recently and were directed by the hotel to park in a “free” lot, I was initially surprised when some local operator greeted me as soon as I got out of the car.
“Optional,” he said, his hand extended.
I reached into my pocket and gave him two euros.
Taxes are going up, I guess.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
