As tourist numbers are increasing, many popular holiday spots are dealing with unruly visitors. Whether they mean to or not, travellers are not always keeping local customs in mind and are sometimes lacking respect towards the destination they’re visiting. Popular destinations across Europe are therefore stepping in, introducing sometimes hefty fines to keep unruly tourists in line.
While the fact that mainly the most popular tourist hotspots are introducing such penalties might seem contradictory to some, as they are partly depending on visitors to keep their economy afloat, authorities across Europe are taking a stance for local residents, the environment, and responsible tourists.
“The rules, while they might sound rigid and punitive when listed out, are all about encouraging responsible and empathetic travelling. They are designed to protect the holiday experiences of the vast majority of people who behave responsibly on holiday,” Jessica Harvey Taylor, Head of Press at the Spanish Tourism Office in London, told the BBC.
Last year, guests spent 854 million nights in short-term rentals.
— EPWashingtonDC (@EPWashingtonDC) August 7, 2025
Many communities are feeling the heat of the tourism boom, so the European Parliament approved new rules for online booking platforms.
Learn more: https://t.co/RQ1xEbX5pY pic.twitter.com/zUhEpquSSk
Some of the newest rules
Keeping on top of the changing regulations and the fines that a traveller might face when not respecting them isn’t always an easy task, though. We’ve therefore listed a selection of the latest fines to be introduced throughout Europe. However, before leaving for your next holiday destination, it is well worth checking in with the local tourist office in order to make sure you’re informed about all the rules that apply locally.
Tourism boom in South Europe continues. Seems people will cut back on many things but not holidays.
— Daniel Kral (@DanielKral1) August 13, 2025
International tourist arrivals in Jan-Jun, y/y:
🇨🇾 +11.5%
🇪🇸 +4.7% (can hit 100mln this year)
🇭🇷 +3.3%
🇵🇹 +2.6%
🇬🇷 +2.1% (up to May)
🇮🇹 +0.2%
And 2024 was a record year… pic.twitter.com/avIYJrUh08
- Wearing swimwear outside of the beach could earn you a fine of up to €1,500 in popular destinations such as Barcelona (Spain), Albufeira (Portugal), Split (Croatia), Sorrento (Italy), Cannes (France), and Venice (Italy).
- Public drinking on Spain’s Balearic Islands (such as Mallorca and Ibiza) might put you at risk of a fine of up to €3,000, while in Albufeira, one might receive a fine of a maximum €1,500.
- When a passenger unbuckles their seatbelt or leaves their seat before the plane has stopped taxiing entails a €62 fine in Turkey.
- Malaga’s new Improve Your Stay campaign asks tourists, among other things, not to litter and not to recklessly use scooters. Those who don’t comply risk a fine of up to €750.
- Albufeira’s Stop, Respect, Relax rules for public places penalise spitting on the ground, abandoning a shopping cart, or cooking in public spaces with fines of up to €750.
- When hiking in Italy’s Cinque Terre region, wearing inappropriate footwear could cost anyone up to €2,500.
- Lighting up in public beaches, playgrounds, and parks could put you at risk of a €90 fine in France.
- Collecting seashells or pebbles on the beach in Greece is prohibited and can be penalised with a €1,000 fine.
- Driving in flip flops, bare feet, or sandals could mean you would have to pay up to €300 in Spain, Greece, Italy, France, and Portugal.
- Taking a dive in a canal in Venice is punishable by a €350 fine.
