Restaurants in Bruges are charging tourists more for food than locals

As if visiting Bruges wasn’t already expensive enough: now it has emerged that tourists are being charged more for food than locals.

According to Belgian media, non-residents are being charged up to 10 per cent more to dine in the city than locals, a practice that has been deemed “perfectly legal” by the country’s consumer protection agency.  

Even visitors from other parts of Belgium are paying more to eat in Bruges, as restaurateurs offer discounts to people based on their accents.

The controversial practice reportedly came to light when a tourist realised he was paying more than local punters in Brugsch Friesthuys, a popular chip shop in Bruges. In an interview with De Standaard newspaper, Gauthier Gevaert, who runs the establishment, defended his policy.

“Ten per cent discount in Bruges, yes, that is explicitly on the receipt,” he said. “Why do we do that? For the regulars. We do not only aim at the mass tourism, but also building a relationship with whoever comes here often.

“I’m not going to ask anyone for his passport. I can hear it if someone is from here: if you speak the dialect, it is good for me.”

Other restaurateurs have admitted to the practice, which has been defended by the mayor of Bruges, Renaat Landuyt, who claimed it helped keep prices down for locals in a city that has become very expensive.

Bruges isn’t the only tourist destination in Europe to offer discounts to locals.

“I’m a regular visitor to Venice and when I dine with locals in the city we are usually given a 20 per cent discount,” said one holidaymaker, who spoke to Telegraph Travel on condition of anonymity. “It’s the same with boat rental and other services.”

She added: “This has been going on for years and I don’t see what the problem is. The city has become overrun with tourists and so expensive – a small discount for locals can go a long way.”

Dual pricing also exists in Cuba – where there is one currency for locals and another for tourists – and in other developing nations such as India and Cambodia, which charge foreigners considerably more to visit popular attractions such as the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat.