Greece’s well being ministry is searching for police assist in opposition to hoaxers who tried to scare international vacationers out of a number of Athens short-term rental flats by inventing a bedbug disaster
ByThe Related Press
December 5, 2023, 12:00 PM
FILE – A bedbug is displayed on the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, March 30, 2011. Greece’s well being ministry is searching for police assist in opposition to hoaxers who tried to scare international vacationers out of a number of Athens short-term rental flats by inventing a bedbug disaster. (AP Picture/Carolyn Kaster, File)
The Related Press
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s well being ministry is searching for police assist in opposition to hoaxers who tried to scare international vacationers out of some Athens short-term rental flats by inventing a bedbug disaster.
A ministry assertion Tuesday mentioned the posters caught up exterior house buildings within the metropolis heart, festooned with faux ministry and Athens municipality logos, have been “completely false.”
The posters, addressed to “pricey guests” in misspelled English, claimed well being authorities had ordered native “personal guesthouses” evacuated “to guard the general public well being of everlasting Greek tenants.”
Citing a nonexistent bedbug infestation, they threatened guests with a 500-euro tremendous ($540) for failure to go away their accomodation, and politely wished them a pleasing keep in Greece.
Along with a cost-of-living disaster, Athens and different elements of Greece face housing issues largely brought on by the proliferation of short-term rental flats — primarily for international guests.
That has helped gasoline a surge in long-term rental prices for Greeks, lots of whom are priced out of residential areas in central Athens. Property values are additionally spiraling, partly due to a “golden visa” program providing residence to international property buyers.
Tourism is a key driver of Greece’s financial system, accounting for a fifth of annual output, and 2023 is predicted to be a report 12 months for arrivals.
The well being ministry mentioned Tuesday that it has knowledgeable the police “to do what is important” in regards to the hoax. It mentioned that “no one is allowed to terrorize and misinform the general public” on public well being points.
Greece hasn’t recorded any main hassle with the bloodsucking creepy-crawlies that not too long ago brought on consternation in France.