A town on Spain’s Costa Brava is saying a firm “No gracias” to bawdy bachelor and bachelorette parties, with a new ban on sexual paraphernalia and obscene items of costume clothing.
The 12,500 residents of Platja d’Aro, about 96km north east of Barcelona, regularly welcome 150,000 visitors a day over the spring and summer but it is a certain brand of tourism, characterised by loud parties, scant clothing and lewd props they are seeking to curb with the introduction of the new bylaw.
“We need to fight”
Under the new regulations, people found “on the public thoroughfare without clothing or only in their underwear or with clothing or accessories representing human genitals or with dolls or other accessories of a sexual nature” will be liable for fines starting at €300. You don’t have to be carrying inflatable sex toys and rampaging in the streets to be on the wrong side of the law. Those who go topless or in swimwear from the beach to the town could also find themselves the subject of a penalty. The charges could rise to as much as €1,500 for incidents that are exacerbated by anti-social behaviour, authorities have warned.
In words that echo sentiments expressed in Seville, which has introduced a similar rule, Maurici Jiménez, Mayor of Platja d’Aro, explained: “These attitudes have an impact on the community’s coexistence and we need to fight against them.” If the problem continues, he will look into the possibility of banning pre-nuptial parties altogether.
25% increase in police in high season
British tourists in particular are known to flock in their thousands to the Costa Brava town for package holidays and pre-wedding celebrations where binge-drinking and rowdiness feature highly on the to-do list, according to locals. Now they will have to contend with a 25% increase in police numbers of the six months of the high season, with the increase in officers on the streets
Describing the sort of disturbance authorities regularly have to deal with, the town’s police chief, David Puertas, recalled a recent stag party where the groom had been attached to a lamp post with gaffer tape, while his companions sang and played loud music nearby late into the night.
Other Spanish, European and worldwide destinations are finding their own ways of contending with the negative effects of overtourism and poor attitudes from tourists, including a ban on party boats in the Balearic Islands; a view-blocking barrier at Mount Fuji, Japan; entry fees in Venice and prohibitions on late night ice-cream in Milan, Italy; a Prague council ruling on costumes that “exceed social conventions”; and even a targeted “stay away” advertising campaign in The Netherlands’ Amsterdam.
