The northern Spanish destination of Barcelona is set to ban the sale of tacky tourist souvenirs in a bid to project a better international image of the city.
Moves have been afoot since 2018 to change the way souvenir shops operate in the city, as well as moderate tourist footfall in residential neighbourhoods. Areas where there are already tight rules on souvenir shops include Camp Nou, Casa Vicens, Ciutat Vella, Park Güell, the Sagrada Familia district, and Sant Antoni.
Ban on bad taste
The rationale behind the newly-approved “ban on bad taste” is to prevent items such as T-shirts or other objects with phallic, sexist or homophobic designs and slogans, from degrading or devaluing the Catalan capital, municipal representatives say.
“Barcelona, through its ‘souvenirs’, is also projected to the world. Penises with the Barcelona brand or t-shirts with sexist and homophobic messages do not project the values of the capital of Catalonia. We ask for regulatory changes to improve the image of the city and its commerce,” explained ciy councillor Jordi Coronas.
The attempt to regulate what some see as harmless fun may raise eyebrows, as well as questions about how the authorities there will go about enforcing the ban. Coronas has called for “imaginative solutions” while Jordi Valls, the city’s deputy mayor for the economy, who also supports the measure, noted another potential barrier to implementation, remarking that it will be “difficult to standardise it because what is considered in bad taste is a matter of very high subjectivity.”
Other destinations with new rules
Barcelona is not the first Spanish or European city to implement rules on vulgarity and lewdness. The southern Andalusian city of Seville has cracked down on the types of skimpy and sexualised outfits and paraphernalia that tended to accompany bachelor parties. Marbella is attempting to fine people who urinate in the sea, with penalties as much as €750 applicable to 25 beaches. Benidorm is slapping €1,200 fines on visitors who go to the beach between midnight and 7am.
And across the Mediterranean in Venice, Italy, attempts have been made to end the junk selling of one-euro plastic gondolas and fridge magnets and instead prioritise businesses that also serve the local community, such as butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers and artisans.
