«I have been living in Gallura for 10 years, wife of a Sardinian, the other morning I went with my son to a bar in Tempio Pausania for breakfast and I paid a good 4 euros for an orange juice: it seems to me a bit excessive ». Hence the reflection: "If the exhibitors continue to strip tourists and others, next year tourism will move elsewhere".
It is the testimony of a reader, Susanna Chiovitto , who has her say in the context of the debate on the "expensive holidays" that is holding the debate these days in Sardinia and beyond.
The reflection is not limited to the prices of the bars, but also to those of the tourist structures: « Weekly rentals in seaside resorts at exorbitant prices, from 700 to 1000 euros per week , often in black, with even dated houses with old furnishings and crockery that cannot be seen, ships and planes with skyrocketing prices without control.
But where do you want to go? We have the most beautiful island in the world, but why take advantage of it so much?» Finally, he comments: «If the tourist consumes little in the clubs it is because he has to bear the cost of the trip and the rent».
But insiders are also intervening in the dispute. Like Lorena, who decided to reply to the complaints of a reader who denounced the "exorbitant" price (90 euros per day) to rent a holiday home (among other things, "filthy") in the Fluminimaggiore area ("but I can confirm that it is all true. The same thing happened to me years ago near Budoni», points out another reader, Marco).
But "I would like to point out that the price of 90 euros seems a high price if you don't know the expenses the host faces ", explains an operator in the sector, Lorena. Adding: "The lack of hygiene is not justifiable, obviously, but there is not much profit margin in the face of a substantial investment".
Lorena goes into detail: 90 euros is the daily price, but 18.90 euros (21%) go without taxes, 16.20 (18%) for booking and collection expenses, another 20 for cleaning with 10 euro per hour at each change of guests for a collaborator. Not to mention the contributions. Finally: «15 euros are used to wash the laundry per couple for each change of guests. And then there are detergents, paper, shower gel, water, coffee (the welcome kit) plus water, electricity, gas, air conditioning (if provided) which is not deductible for private individuals».
In short, concludes Lorena, «the margin is quite low, the host is often disappointed and not very enthusiastic also because the rest of the year does not earn, being a seasonal tourism . This is not meant to be a controversy but just a fact."
(Unioneonline/lf)