Should Foreigners Pay More?

[Zardnaar]

As the title says but in regards to tourist type areas.

If I walked into a shop in the USA and they charged me more for being from NZ I would be less than happy.

But if I went to a national park and the fee was more for a foreigner I wouldn't mind as long as.

1. The extra was somewhat reasonable.
2. It's clear you are paying more.

Tourism does price locals out if some areas or failing that makes certain areas a treat.

I'm not a fan of tourists being scammed. For example prices have to be displayed here so if you order a steak you might expect to pay the menu price. But in some places they might charge you hundreds of dollars when you go to pay.

How much extra I expect to pay varies by country. We had a tourist here get charged $25 for a whiskey which you would expect to pay more like $8 or so. The $25 wasn't a premium whiskey and in a hipster bar you might pay more.

I have been caught out when ordering from wait staff and the prices are at the bar and I don't think to check the price. That's on me.

 

[Imaus]

They already charge you more, because Tourists stay in Touristy areas and the shops there charge more. How many times I told someone to go down another block to go to another Burger King than the one facing WTC because it's cheaper....

 

[Zardnaar]

They already charge you more, because Tourists stay in Touristy areas and the shops there charge more. How many times I told someone to go down another block to go to another Burger King than the one facing WTC because it's cheaper....

Rents usually more as well.
But yeah sometimes it's just walk next door even. Go have lunch with the old ladies who are local rather the trendy hipster place with disappointing food.

 

[Gorbles]

I think if locals are being frozen out of areas that are designed for tourists, considering that the aim of tourism is to charge people for the privilege for things . . . those things don't need to be more expensive. That'd defeat the point of trying to attract tourists.

Instead, there should be subsidies for actual locals (not out-of-towners, or people who repeatedly rock up with 20 relatives from out-of-state / country / whatever). I live near a racecourse here in the UK, our house is right by it. We regularly get free or discounted invites to events to account for the noise and general disruption that we suffer as a result. I think that's fair.

 

[Zardnaar]

Btw I was thinking of places in tourist hotspots in non Western type ecomomies were tourists pay a lot more than the locals (factor of 40).

I think that may have been the Taj Mahal.

Hermitage in St Petersburg 400 rubles for locals, 700 for tourists ($11 USD iirc).

I expect to pay more in tourist areas regardlesd.

 

[EnglishEdward]

In general I don't think that tourists should be charged more than a local
would be charged at the same place for the same goods or services.

It opens a slippery path to inappropriate discrimination in all sorts of ways.

 

[Farm Boy]

My local library will let you get a card if you live out of district. But it will charge you the approximate total of normal fee plus and averaged annual tax contribution. It makes the card very not cheap. I mean, it's still cheap considering what you can get for a year with it, but yeah. Things that are government supported already have a weight on the locals.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I think if locals are being frozen out of areas that are designed for tourists, considering that the aim of tourism is to charge people for the privilege for things . . . those things don't need to be more expensive. That'd defeat the point of trying to attract tourists.

Instead, there should be subsidies for actual locals (not out-of-towners, or people who repeatedly rock up with 20 relatives from out-of-state / country / whatever). I live near a racecourse here in the UK, our house is right by it. We regularly get free or discounted invites to events to account for the noise and general disruption that we suffer as a result. I think that's fair.

Similarly, I've noticed on my travels across the country that many states that operate toll roads have waivers or discounts or rebates for the locals who have to use the toll roads for their daily life. This way they're capturing fees from out-of-staters without leaning on the local population too heavily.

 

[Gorbles]

That'd be handy, we have toll roads here in the UK but we don't have anything like that (except for disabled badge holders, I think, who get general discounts across the board for a variety of services. Understandably!). You generally see them used by corporate travel (where they can just expense the toll) or for heavy goods vehicles and the like (again, company dime).

 

[Zkribbler]

I think if locals are being frozen out of areas that are designed for tourists, considering that the aim of tourism is to charge people for the privilege for things . . . those things don't need to be more expensive. That'd defeat the point of trying to attract tourists.

In the 70's, I lived in Honolulu. I never shopped in Waikiki because of the prices and because just across the Ala Wei Canal is Hawaii's largest shopping mall.

Here in the Philippines, I'll often send my driver in to deal with a tradesman.

 

[Lexicus]

My sympathy for tourists is basically nonexistent. I applaud local merchants spotting someone who is an obvious American and price-gouging them for everything they're worth.

 

[Zkribbler]

I just noticed this in Lexicus' sig.

An industrial society can afford to be free.
~Karl Polanyi

 

[Zardnaar]

My sympathy for tourists is basically nonexistent. I applaud local merchants spotting someone who is an obvious American and price-gouging them for everything they're worth.

Often it's anyone with pale skin.

If it's to excessive countries do get bad reputations.

Tourist areas here are expensive but prices are generally fixed.
There might be cheaper entry at a few sites for locals but it would not be very common.

 

[Farm Boy]

Tourist areas here are expensive but prices are generally fixed.

Non-fixed pricing is a pretty good indicator of dbags people would generally rather avoid if given the choice. It's one of the principle parts that sucks about the medical industry. It's why car shopping is usually godawful, and why society has so much love for anyone you know is going to take anyone they can for anything they can get in any given situation. It attracts the real charmers of society. Not that they don't find themselves in other areas, like boards of directors and the financial markets, selling snake oil, etc.

 

[jarred!]

Wouldn't the store owners rather charge everyone the inflated price? That's what happens now, and, bonus, it's not illegal profiling.

 

[Zardnaar]

Wouldn't the store owners rather charge everyone the inflated price? That's what happens now, and, bonus, it's not illegal profiling.

It doesn't really apply to stores more for entrance fees.
And then someone else can undercut those inflation.

Here prices have to be displayed and the commerce commission will go after price fixing.
Things like groceries will cost a bit more in some tourist locations especially in remote areas.

A premium burger in Queenstown will cost similar to a premium burger here. Grocery and petrol will cost a bit more, tourist activities and accommodation will be really expensive.

Some things can be inflated though so it pays to check prices as I have seen people order a jug of beer and pay $33 where you would normally expect $11 or $12.

The jug was craft beer 1.8 litres instead of 1 litre but no one checked the prices. Not a scam, just hipster beer in a nice establishment.