For travellers heading for Italy during the summer months, they would
be advised to hold onto their wallet, and tuck their other valuables
well out of sight.
Travel insurance comparison experts at Quotezone have rated the top
10 most visited European countries where UK travellers have reported
being pickpocketed the most.
The European Pickpocketing Index ranks the most popular European
holiday destinations by the proportion of pickpocketing mentions in
visitor reviews of each country’s top five tourist attractions.
Visitors to Italy’s Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon in Rome as
well as the Duomo di Milano in Milan and the Gallerie Degli Uffizi in
Florence mentioned having items stolen in 1,906 TripAdvisor reviews.
France has the second highest number of pickpocketing mentions, with all five attractions monitored being in Paris.
The Netherlands ranked third on the pickpocketing index, ahead of Germany and Greece.
Despite Barcelona’s reputation for pickpocketing, Spain came sixth on
the list with five times fewer mentions of theft than Italy.
Countries where pickpockets were less of a problem for UK travellers
are Portugal (7th) and Turkey (8th) out of nine countries ranked. The
Republic of Ireland was the country where travellers were least at risk
of being pickpocketed.
Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk,
said, “Theft can happen anywhere and tourist hotspots are convenient
places for criminals to target holidaymakers’ wallets and purses whilst
they are busy taking in the sights.
“Iconic attractions like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Trevi
Fountain in Rome are particularly popular with pickpockets as they can
move more inconspicuously amongst larger crowds.
“It is essential always to remain vigilant, leave valuables, like
expensive jewellery, in a safe in the hotel and always travel with a
secure cross-body bag with zips to secure phones and wallets or even a
money belt,” Wilson advised.