Brits Need to Smarten Up

In new by-laws passed by the town council in the resort of Salou near Barcelona those who flout the ban could be fined between €100 and €300.

The resort on the Costa Daurada, just south of Barcelona, has become the first place in Spain to ban shirtless and bikini-clad tourists in a bid to clean up its reputation, which has been badly damaged after becoming a haven for drunken British students.

Also those caught drinking alcohol on the streets or having sex on the beach could also be prosecuted and beachwear will be banned from all but beachfront bars and restaurants. "We want to ensure that Salou has a good image," said the mayor, Pere Granados, explaining the move.

Earlier this year locals complained about the drunken behaviour of British students who flocked to the resort for the Easter holidays after more than 5,000 British students aged between 18 and 23 crowded into the town 70 miles south of Barcelona to attend "Saloufest" an annual party organised by university sports clubs.

It was reported at the time that residents complained of "streets running with vomit" after scantily clad students spent their nights binge drinking and indulging in "anti-social behaviour" and paramedics treated at least a dozen tourists for alcohol induced illnesses and several arrests were made, including one student accused of raping another.

Unfortunately the events caused an "anti-British backlash" that pitted Spanish families taking an Easter break by the sea with businesses reliant on tourism to survive. However, the bikini ban signals a growing unease in Spain against those sunburnt northern European tourists who offend the local population by walking in the streets, dining in restaurants and even doing their shopping in little more than beachwear.

One local councillor in Orihuela said that it was ‘not normal’ to go the market with your body on show or round the tourist sites in a thong and tourists shouldn't be allowed to walk the streets or enter public buildings in unseemly apparel. He said it gave the city a low-class look.

the regional capital Barcelona, earlier this year, stopped short of introducing a similar ban but has embarked on a campaign urging tourists to dress appropriately when away from the beach and new posters showing a stick figure couple in swimming costumes with a red line across it have been plastered at sites across the city ahead of the summer season and hotels, bars and restaurants in the tourist areas have been asked to display the signs.
 

http://www.theleader.info/article/23834/spain/national/british-embassy-in-madrid-now-on-facebook/