Pilgrims pay a transit fee at port of Jaffa. An illustration copied from Sir. J. Mandeville's book

The local inhabitants of the Holy Land, like the authorities, saw the pilgrims first and foremost as a source of income, and they treated them accordingly.
Pilgrims were required to pay for everything, and often had to add baksheesh as well. Often, the sums of money demanded from them represented blatant extortion based only on the greed of the local authorities. The fact that the pilgrims were "infidels" only made the thievery easier on the consciences of the Muslims.
The series of payments began even before the pilgrims touched land. in 1458, reports that the disembarkation process was maddeningly slow and entailed the payment of steep bribes. The Franciscan monks who were always on the spot to assist pilgrims helped them haggle over the bribes and straightened out any misunderstandings, in many instances preventing violence. Wey also relates that he and his companions were not permitted to leave Jaffa on the day of their arrival despite the early hour.
Instead of continuing on their way Jerusalem, they were forced to sleep—and pay a large sum for the "privilege" of doing so!—in filthy and foul-smelling caves carved in the mountain near the city's fortress.
Upon its arrival in Ramla, the party was again delayed on various pretenses so that the travelers would stop in the city and avail themselves of its services.
Not everyone put up with the manipulation. Roberto de San Severino, a highborn Italian pilgrim who also participated in the pilgrimage of spring 1458, was offended by the behaviour of the donkey owner whose services he had employed. Refusing to listen to his Fransiscan guide, who tried to convince him that a small bribe would provide him a better service. Roberto demanded an apology from the Arab. The ensuing argument delayed the convoy for three extraneous hours.