The local council in the Spanish coastal town of Salou, on the Costa Dorada has brought in new by-laws aimed at reducing disruption at peak seasons. The town became infamous earlier this spring when thousands of British university students descended on it for the annual Saloufest, causing havoc with hordes of drunken and scantily-clad students wandering through the town’s streets.
Beachwear will be banned from all but beachfront bars and restaurants, meaning anyone seen wearing bikinis in the towns mains streets violating the ban will be fined between €100 (£81) and €300 (£245), additionally anyone caught drinking alcohol on the streets or having sex on the beach could also be prosecuted.
Pere Granados, the Town Mayor explained this week that the move is aimed at reviving the fortunes of the resort and helping it get away from its sordid reputation. “We want to ensure that Salou has a good image.”
Also Salou’s Councilor for Tourism, Alberto del Hierro, added: “It is not normal to go the market with your packet on show or round the tourist sites in a thong. One shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets or enter public buildings in unseemly apparel. It gives the city a low-class look.”
