Malaga issues warning against tourists going shirtless amid mass tourism row
Malaga, the popular Spanish tourist travel destination for British holiday-goers, has urged visitors to cover up in public spaces by putting up new billboards and asking them not to be “conspicuous”.
It is an Andalusian city on the edge of the Meditteranean Sea and one of the most popular holiday destinations, having recently surpassed its rival location, Costa del Sol, in the number of visitors. Last year, for instance, the province attracted around 14million tourists, a record number and officially their best year in history.
However, the city and the tourism board have recently attempted to apply greater control over their visitors, particularly regarding how they present themselves. One method they have chosen is placing warnings across Malaga to remind people of appropriate ways to dress when walking their streets.
The posters around the city are titled, ‘Improve your stay in Malaga‘, and warn tourists to “dress completely” while out in public places, mainly out of respect and for hygiene reasons. The warnings encourage tourists who walk around shirtless to wear a covering when out in public.
This follows a recent law passed last year that says if tourists are undressed in public, they can be fined up to €750 (£633) for violation. Alongside encouraging their dress code, the posters also include additional ways tourists can improve their behaviour, like appropriately disposing of litter and being careful and respectful around monuments and public gardens.
The poster seems also to be an attempt at controlling public disruption, addressing noise levels among groups who may be out drinking or the simple fact that there are more tourists out late at night than the city can manage. “Do not shout, sing, or turn up the volume of your music,” the poster reads. “Respect the resting hours of your neighbours, including the elderly, the sick, students, children and essential workers.”
Which other destinations are addressing tourist behaviour?
Malaga isn’t the first destination to attempt to control tourism. Other popular locations, like Croatia, have issued warnings against certain behaviours, including walking around indecently and neglecting to cover up in public.
Last year, Croatia warned visitors they could be fined up to £3,400 for walking around shirtless or drinking in public places. In response, the UK government updated its advice to those travelling to Croatia to remain privy to “on the spot fines” for reasons considered “locally inappropriate”, including “fighting, verbal abuse and drunken behaviour.”
Greece also recently implemented measures to prevent overseas visitors from drastically impacting local life. The local government plans to ban the construction on the island of Santorini due to concerns that the massive influx of tourists relative to the local population will cause increasing levels of damage to the area’s natural surroundings and historical landscape.
Some locations, like Dubrovnik, are taking this sentiment even further by banning other things, like wheeled suitcases, because of the noise disturbances they create. Instead, the mayor urged visitors to leave their luggage at the airport and arrange for it to be delivered to their hotel.
