Have definitely noticed price increases here, although not always certain what the specific comparisons are. Easy to have vague memories of what used to be. Didn’t we get a whole bag of oranges for a euro? But when exactly was that? It’s three and a half years since we last stayed here. Obviously prices have increased but by how much? Sometimes feel like our mothers, knowing things used to be cheaper but pretty unreliable about how much and when. So today we read that sugar has gone up 16% over the past month - and more critically 68% since January. Not something we would have noticed as I don’t bake here and we never buy sugar or baked goods. Really only save the sugar packets when they’re provided with coffee at a café in case guests want sugar with their coffee. Apparently there’s been a monthly drop in hotel prices and flights. Not affecting us, or not directly anyway, and presumably normal after the end of the summer season.
The tourism department department admits the year has been difficult but focuses on the return of British tourists to 90% of 2019 numbers. That’s definitely focusing on the positive as the second highest number of tourists usually is from Russia and that number must have suffered a catastrophic decline. In any case the tourism department has always taken as much pleasure as the old soviet union in announcing targets met and exceeded so it’s difficult to know how cynical to be. And particularly with British entries how do they know who to count as tourists? There are quite a lot of permanent residents going back and forth on UK passports and no one at the immigration desk asks the purpose of your entry. Presumably there must be some way to identify permanent residents. Hotels can provide information but hardly total numbers as many tourists might stay with friends or relatives.