Cartagena, a Colombian resort, suffers from exorbitant prices.
Inflating prices, adding extra fees, adding zeros… ‘argument’
The city government will support victims… Tourists beware
Exorbitant prices for tourists are rampant in Cartagena, a famous tourist city in Colombia.
According to foreign media reports such as El Tiempo and Alaska Commons, on the 15th (local time), damage such as overcharging foreign tourists or secretly increasing payment amounts is occurring in Cartagena, a resort city in the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia.
A tourist who ate at a restaurant in Cartagena posted a photo of the receipt on social media. The receipt shows a total of 4.57 million pesos (about 1.54 million won), which includes a tip of 1.2 million pesos (about 400,000 won) and an additional fee of 415,000 pesos (about 140,000 won). Netizens criticized the amount, saying it was an absurd amount even considering the cost of food and drinks.
Last December, travelers from Argentina ordered two glasses of lemonade and had to pay 7 million pesos (about 2.36 million won), which was different from the amount originally advertised.
All of these cases were shared on social media and sparked controversy. As the controversy grew, some store owners returned the difference, citing reasons such as machine operation problems. Cartagena’s Minister of the Interior reportedly expressed his intention to actively support the victims.
City officials emphasized the need for government-level crackdowns, strengthening business licensing standards, and regulating arbitrary manipulation of card terminals. Cartagena Tourism Director Natalia Borques urged tourists not to let sellers take their cards elsewhere and to always ask for the correct price list.
Cartagena is originally considered one of the safest cities in Colombia and was used by Portugal as a base for the development of the New World during the imperialist era. It is a popular travel destination because of its warm climate and diverse natural and cultural background.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.