With the increase in the flow of tourists, some popular destinations have taken measures to combat overtourism in 2023, showing particular creativity, reports Euronews.
Several restrictions have been introduced on Sardinian beaches to avoid overcrowding. For example, a maximum number of visitors was established and time limits were introduced.
On the west coast of Pelosa Beach, a towel ban was introduced, requiring sunbathers to bring special mats that do not collect sand. And the famous pink beach of Spiaggia Rosa remained closed to visitors in 2023, with fines of 500 euros for walking on it, and up to 3,500 euros for stealing sand.
Beachgoers in Portugal have been warned they could face fines of up to €36,000 if they listen to music too loudly. The country’s National Maritime Administration (AMN) has banned the use of portable speakers. The AMN rules also prohibit playing ball outside designated areas on beaches, placing tents outside campsites, and lighting fires.
A crackdown on anti-social behavior among newlyweds and indecent acts has been announced in Seville. The authorities planned to introduce a ban on underwear in public places and on clothing with sexist slogans. The measures also include a ban on committing or inciting “indecent exhibitionism.”
No-waiting zones have been introduced in Portofino to combat crowds of tourists taking selfies and blocking the road. Any tourist who stayed on the dam for too long between 10:30 and 18:00 risked receiving a fine of 270 euros.
Residents of Hallstatt in the Austrian mountains were so annoyed and tired of tourists that they erected a fence to prevent mass selfies. It later had to be removed due to a wave of outrage on social networks.
In Spain, activists have placed fake warning signs on Majorca beaches to scare away English-speaking tourists. Some posters warned of “dangerous jellyfish”, “rock falls” or seawater contaminated by sewers. At the same time, for residents, activists added information below in Catalan that the warnings are false and are intended for tourists. They wrote that “the problem is not the collapse of the rocks, but mass tourism” or that “the beach is open to everyone except foreigners and jellyfish.”