Colosseum Tours & Tickets has highlighted a number of common scams that could see tourists lose out on hundreds during upcoming holidays to a number of popular destinations.
Whilst all tourists hope their time away will be unforgettable, scammers extorting money from unsuspecting travellers can make a trip hard to forget for all the wrong reasons.
Magdalena Petrusic, a travel expert at Colosseum Tours & Tickets, noted that scammers tend to frequent popular holiday destinations during the summer when more tourists visit.
She explained: “European attractions experience peak tourist traffic during the summer months when families go on vacation, and the weather is generally favourable.
“Whilst there are common types of scams that will circulate throughout the year, there are also specific scams that will occur more frequently in certain tourist hotspots. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this if you are planning to visit one of the places rife with scams.”
In particular, Colosseum Tours & Tickets warned visitors to the famous attraction in Rome not to approach the ‘fake gladiators’ that may be outside.
Dressed as gladiators and soldiers, these scammers stand outside the Colosseum, trying to get tourists to take a selfie with them before demanding incredibly high amounts of money.
According to Rome’s Polizia di Stato, some tourists were forced to pay up to €500 (£425), urging future visitors that it is never illegal not to pay for a photo.
Colosseum Tours & Tickets also reminded travellers to be mindful of pickpocketing, where a thief attempts to retrieve items such as phones and money from unsuspecting tourists.
Whilst this issue can be found in any built-up area throughout Europe, the company highlighted that cases of pickpocketing in Las Ramblas in Barcelona have recently increased.
Since the world-famous boulevard is popular with tourists all year round many thieves have been spotted there, with more than 3,200 online reviews mentioning pickpocketers.
Finally, tourists planning on a trip to Paris were advised by Colosseum Tours & Tickets to be cautious when catching a taxi from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
A common scam used by disreputable drivers is to say their meter is broken or use an unauthentic meter to charge a higher fare to tourists.
To avoid the issue, the company advised tourists to always agree on a price with the driver before getting into the taxi and make sure it has a proper meter fitted.